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Is Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) A Risky Investment?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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 Dominion Energy

What Is Dominion Energy's Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at December 2022 Dominion Energy had debt of US$45.9b, up from US$40.8b in one year. Net debt is about the same, since the it doesn't have much cash.

debt-equity-history-analysis
debt-equity-history-analysis

A Look At Dominion Energy's Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Dominion Energy had liabilities of US$13.5b due within 12 months and liabilities of US$62.9b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$758.0m in cash and US$3.36b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$72.2b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

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This deficit casts a shadow over the US$47.9b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. After all, Dominion Energy would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Dominion Energy has a rather high debt to EBITDA ratio of 5.7 which suggests a meaningful debt load. But the good news is that it boasts fairly comforting interest cover of 4.8 times, suggesting it can responsibly service its obligations. Also relevant is that Dominion Energy has grown its EBIT by a very respectable 24% in the last year, thus enhancing its ability to pay down debt. 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 Dominion Energy'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 the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. During the last three years, Dominion Energy burned a lot of cash. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.

Our View

To be frank both Dominion Energy's net debt to EBITDA and its track record of converting EBIT to free cash flow make us rather uncomfortable with its debt levels. But on the bright side, its EBIT growth rate is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. We should also note that Integrated Utilities industry companies like Dominion Energy commonly do use debt without problems. We're quite clear that we consider Dominion Energy to be really rather risky, as a result of its balance sheet health. So we're almost as wary of this stock as a hungry kitten is about falling into its owner's fish pond: once bitten, twice shy, as they say. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. We've identified 5 warning signs with Dominion Energy (at least 2 which don't sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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