David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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. Importantly, Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

How Much Debt Does Montrose Environmental Group Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2024 Montrose Environmental Group had US$212.4m of debt, an increase on US$169.1m, over one year. However, it does have US$18.3m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about US$194.1m.

A Look At Montrose Environmental Group's Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Montrose Environmental Group had liabilities of US$131.7m due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$270.5m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had US$18.3m in cash and US$208.9m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$175.0m.

Given Montrose Environmental Group has a market capitalization of US$1.12b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Montrose Environmental Group can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Over 12 months, Montrose Environmental Group reported revenue of US$662m, which is a gain of 18%, although it did not report any earnings before interest and tax. We usually like to see faster growth from unprofitable companies, but each to their own.

Caveat Emptor

Importantly, Montrose Environmental Group had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last year. Indeed, it lost US$18m at the EBIT level. When we look at that and recall the liabilities on its balance sheet, relative to cash, it seems unwise to us for the company to have any debt. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. Another cause for caution is that is bled US$19m in negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. So suffice it to say we do consider the stock to be risky. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Montrose Environmental Group .

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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