Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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. Importantly, Digital Turbine, Inc. (NASDAQ:APPS) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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.

What Is Digital Turbine's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Digital Turbine had debt of US$383.5m at the end of March 2024, a reduction from US$410.5m over a year. However, it also had US$33.6m in cash, and so its net debt is US$349.9m.

How Strong Is Digital Turbine's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Digital Turbine had liabilities of US$236.0m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$415.6m due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$33.6m and US$191.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total US$427.0m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

The deficiency here weighs heavily on the US$179.4m company itself, as if a child were struggling under the weight of an enormous back-pack full of books, his sports gear, and a trumpet. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. After all, Digital Turbine would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Digital Turbine can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

In the last year Digital Turbine had a loss before interest and tax, and actually shrunk its revenue by 18%, to US$544m. That's not what we would hope to see.

Caveat Emptor

Not only did Digital Turbine's revenue slip over the last twelve months, but it also produced negative earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). Its EBIT loss was a whopping US$25m. When we look at that alongside the significant liabilities, we're not particularly confident about the company. It would need to improve its operations quickly for us to be interested in it. For example, we would not want to see a repeat of last year's loss of US$420m. In the meantime, we consider the stock to be risky. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Digital Turbine .

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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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.