Is V.F (NYSE:VFC) Using Too Much Debt?

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that ‘Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.’ 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. We note that V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first step when considering a company’s debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for V.F

How Much Debt Does V.F Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of October 2022, V.F had US$6.05b of debt, up from US$5.69b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it does have US$552.8m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about US$5.50b.

A Look At V.F’s Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that V.F had liabilities of US$5.35b due within a year, and liabilities of US$5.35b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$552.8m as well as receivables valued at US$1.84b due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$8.31b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This is a mountain of leverage even relative to its gargantuan market capitalization of US$11.5b. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

V.F has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.2, which signals significant debt, but is still pretty reasonable for most types of business. But its EBIT was about 11.3 times its interest expense, implying the company isn’t really paying a high cost to maintain that level of debt. Even were the low cost to prove unsustainable, that is a good sign. V.F grew its EBIT by 7.6% in the last year. Whilst that hardly knocks our socks off it is a positive when it comes to debt. 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 V.F’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. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. In the last three years, V.F’s free cash flow amounted to 45% of its EBIT, less than we’d expect. That’s not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Our View

V.F’s level of total liabilities and net debt to EBITDA definitely weigh on it, in our esteem. But its interest cover tells a very different story, and suggests some resilience. Looking at all the angles mentioned above, it does seem to us that V.F is a somewhat risky investment as a result of its debt. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since leverage can boost returns on equity, but it is something to be aware of. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet – far from it. Case in point: We’ve spotted 4 warning signs for V.F you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit unpleasant.

At the end of the day, it’s often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It’s free.

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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.