Yahoo Finance Colfax (NYSE:CFX) Has A Somewhat Strained Balance Sheet
Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. Importantly, Colfax Corporation (NYSE:CFX) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
When Is Debt Dangerous?
Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.
View our latest analysis for Colfax
How Much Debt Does Colfax Carry?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2019 Colfax had US$4.12b of debt, an increase on US$1.07b, over one year. However, it also had US$131.9m in cash, and so its net debt is US$3.99b.
How Strong Is Colfax's Balance Sheet?
Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Colfax had liabilities of US$1.60b due within 12 months and liabilities of US$5.04b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$131.9m in cash and US$616.3m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$5.89b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.
This deficit casts a shadow over the US$3.06b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. At the end of the day, Colfax would probably need a major re-capitalization if its creditors were to demand repayment.
We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.
With a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 7.1, it's fair to say Colfax does have a significant amount of debt. But the good news is that it boasts fairly comforting interest cover of 4.8 times, suggesting it can responsibly service its obligations. It is well worth noting that Colfax's EBIT shot up like bamboo after rain, gaining 47% in the last twelve months. That'll make it easier to manage its debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Colfax'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.
Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Looking at the most recent three years, Colfax recorded free cash flow of 45% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.
Our View
On the face of it, Colfax's net debt to EBITDA left us tentative about the stock, and its level of total liabilities was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. But at least it's pretty decent at growing its EBIT; that's encouraging. Overall, we think it's fair to say that Colfax has enough debt that there are some real risks around the balance sheet. If everything goes well that may pay off but the downside of this debt is a greater risk of permanent losses. In light of our reservations about the company's balance sheet, it seems sensible to check if insiders have been selling shares recently.
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.
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If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
