Yahoo Finance Is Kimball Electronics (NASDAQ:KE) Using Too Much Debt?
Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. As with many other companies Kimball Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:KE) makes use of debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
Why Does Debt Bring Risk?
Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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, 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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
View our latest analysis for Kimball Electronics
How Much Debt Does Kimball Electronics Carry?
As you can see below, Kimball Electronics had US$66.2m of debt at June 2021, down from US$118.1m a year prior. But on the other hand it also has US$106.4m in cash, leading to a US$40.2m net cash position.
How Healthy Is Kimball Electronics' Balance Sheet?
Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Kimball Electronics had liabilities of US$300.8m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$71.3m due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$106.4m and US$249.2m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total US$16.4m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.
Of course, Kimball Electronics has a market capitalization of US$652.4m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Kimball Electronics also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.
On top of that, Kimball Electronics grew its EBIT by 56% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Kimball Electronics can strengthen its balance sheet over time. 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. While Kimball Electronics has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, Kimball Electronics recorded free cash flow worth 60% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.
Summing up
While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Kimball Electronics has US$40.2m in net cash. And it impressed us with its EBIT growth of 56% over the last year. So we don't think Kimball Electronics's use of debt is risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Be aware that Kimball Electronics is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit concerning...
At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
