Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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 note that Metallus Inc. (NYSE:MTUS) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

What Is Metallus's Debt?

As you can see below, Metallus had US$13.2m of debt, at June 2024, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, it does have US$272.8m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$259.6m.

How Strong Is Metallus' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Metallus had liabilities of US$195.3m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$188.8m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$272.8m as well as receivables valued at US$107.0m due within 12 months. So these liquid assets roughly match the total liabilities.

This state of affairs indicates that Metallus' balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So while it's hard to imagine that the US$655.8m company is struggling for cash, we still think it's worth monitoring its balance sheet. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Metallus boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Better yet, Metallus grew its EBIT by 3,927% last year, which is an impressive improvement. If maintained that growth will make the debt even more manageable in the years ahead. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Metallus'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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Metallus may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Metallus generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 100% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Metallus has US$259.6m in net cash. And it impressed us with free cash flow of US$80m, being 100% of its EBIT. So we don't think Metallus's use of debt is risky. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Metallus .

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.