Yahoo Finance Is Applied Therapeutics (NASDAQ:APLT) Using Debt Sensibly?
David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Applied Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:APLT) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.
When Is Debt A Problem?
Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.
See our latest analysis for Applied Therapeutics
What Is Applied Therapeutics's Debt?
The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Applied Therapeutics had US$3.16m in debt in June 2021; about the same as the year before. But on the other hand it also has US$125.6m in cash, leading to a US$122.5m net cash position.
How Healthy Is Applied Therapeutics' Balance Sheet?
We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Applied Therapeutics had liabilities of US$23.4m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.11m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$125.6m as well as receivables valued at US$335.0k due within 12 months. So it actually has US$101.4m more liquid assets than total liabilities.
This surplus suggests that Applied Therapeutics is using debt in a way that is appears to be both safe and conservative. Given it has easily adequate short term liquidity, we don't think it will have any issues with its lenders. Simply put, the fact that Applied Therapeutics has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Applied Therapeutics's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.
Since Applied Therapeutics doesn't have significant operating revenue, shareholders may be hoping it comes up with a great new product, before it runs out of money.
So How Risky Is Applied Therapeutics?
We have no doubt that loss making companies are, in general, riskier than profitable ones. And the fact is that over the last twelve months Applied Therapeutics lost money at the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) line. And over the same period it saw negative free cash outflow of US$92m and booked a US$104m accounting loss. But the saving grace is the US$122.5m on the balance sheet. That kitty means the company can keep spending for growth for at least two years, at current rates. Even though its balance sheet seems sufficiently liquid, debt always makes us a little nervous if a company doesn't produce free cash flow regularly. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Applied Therapeutics (1 is significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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