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.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. As with many other companies UFP Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPT) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. 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. 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 UFP Technologies's Net Debt?

As you can see below, UFP Technologies had US$34.0m of debt at March 2024, down from US$60.0m a year prior. On the flip side, it has US$11.4m in cash leading to net debt of about US$22.6m.

How Healthy Is UFP Technologies' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that UFP Technologies had liabilities of US$52.4m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$60.2m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$11.4m in cash and US$61.3m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$40.0m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Having regard to UFP Technologies' size, it seems that its liquid assets are well balanced with its total liabilities. So it's very unlikely that the US$2.01b company is short on cash, but still worth keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Carrying virtually no net debt, UFP Technologies has a very light debt load indeed.

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). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

UFP Technologies has a low net debt to EBITDA ratio of only 0.31. And its EBIT covers its interest expense a whopping 18.1 times over. So we're pretty relaxed about its super-conservative use of debt. And we also note warmly that UFP Technologies grew its EBIT by 17% last year, making its debt load easier to handle. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine UFP Technologies'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 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. In the last three years, UFP Technologies's free cash flow amounted to 37% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Our View

The good news is that UFP Technologies's demonstrated ability to cover its interest expense with its EBIT delights us like a fluffy puppy does a toddler. But, on a more sombre note, we are a little concerned by its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow. It's also worth noting that UFP Technologies is in the Medical Equipment industry, which is often considered to be quite defensive. Zooming out, UFP Technologies seems to use debt quite reasonably; and that gets the nod from us. After all, sensible leverage can boost returns on equity. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for UFP Technologies you should be aware of.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.