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.' 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. We can see that Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

What Is Box's Net Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Box had US$371.8m in debt in July 2024; about the same as the year before. But on the other hand it also has US$482.2m in cash, leading to a US$110.4m net cash position.

How Strong Is Box's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Box had liabilities of US$586.9m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$480.1m due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$482.2m and US$177.5m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total US$407.3m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Since publicly traded Box shares are worth a total of US$4.57b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. 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, Box 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 Box has boosted its EBIT by 38%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. 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 Box'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.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Box 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. Happily for any shareholders, Box actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. There's nothing better than incoming cash when it comes to staying in your lenders' good graces.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Box has US$110.4m in net cash. The cherry on top was that in converted 634% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$307m. So is Box's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. We'd be very excited to see if Box insiders have been snapping up shares. If you are too, then click on this link right now to take a (free) peek at our list of reported insider transactions.

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.

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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.