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.' 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, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE:EPAM) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

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. 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. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

What Is EPAM Systems's Net Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that EPAM Systems had US$25.8m of debt in March 2024, down from US$28.3m, one year before. But on the other hand it also has US$2.05b in cash, leading to a US$2.02b net cash position.

How Healthy Is EPAM Systems' Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that EPAM Systems had liabilities of US$658.5m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$240.4m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$2.05b in cash and US$931.4m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it can boast US$2.08b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

It's good to see that EPAM Systems has plenty of liquidity on its balance sheet, suggesting conservative management of liabilities. Due to its strong net asset position, it is not likely to face issues with its lenders. Succinctly put, EPAM Systems boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

But the bad news is that EPAM Systems has seen its EBIT plunge 11% in the last twelve months. We think hat kind of performance, if repeated frequently, could well lead to difficulties for the stock. 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 EPAM Systems 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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. While EPAM Systems 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. During the last three years, EPAM Systems generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 81% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Summing Up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that EPAM Systems has net cash of US$2.02b, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. The cherry on top was that in converted 81% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$578m. So is EPAM Systems's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. We'd be very excited to see if EPAM Systems 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.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com