Yahoo Finance These 4 Measures Indicate That Lindsay (NYSE:LNN) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well
Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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, Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?
What Risk Does Debt Bring?
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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
See our latest analysis for Lindsay
What Is Lindsay's Net Debt?
The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Lindsay had US$115.8m in debt in February 2021; about the same as the year before. However, it does have US$130.3m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$14.5m.
How Healthy Is Lindsay's Balance Sheet?
The latest balance sheet data shows that Lindsay had liabilities of US$114.8m due within a year, and liabilities of US$162.8m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$130.3m and US$95.4m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total US$51.9m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.
Of course, Lindsay has a market capitalization of US$1.81b, 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. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Lindsay boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
In addition to that, we're happy to report that Lindsay has boosted its EBIT by 92%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Lindsay's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. While Lindsay 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. Looking at the most recent three years, Lindsay recorded free cash flow of 33% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.
Summing up
While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Lindsay has US$14.5m in net cash. And we liked the look of last year's 92% year-on-year EBIT growth. So is Lindsay's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. We'd be motivated to research the stock further if we found out that Lindsay insiders have bought shares recently. If you would too, then you're in luck, since today we're sharing our list of reported insider transactions for free.
When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.
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. 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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