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 Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. 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 Enphase Energy Carry?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Enphase Energy had US$1.30b in debt in June 2024; about the same as the year before. However, it does have US$1.65b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$348.4m.

A Look At Enphase Energy's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Enphase Energy had liabilities of US$529.6m due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.75b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$1.65b and US$319.2m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling US$316.4m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Of course, Enphase Energy has a titanic market capitalization of US$15.6b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Enphase Energy also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

It is just as well that Enphase Energy's load is not too heavy, because its EBIT was down 85% over the last year. When a company sees its earnings tank, it can sometimes find its relationships with its lenders turn sour. 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 Enphase Energy 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.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Enphase Energy 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. Happily for any shareholders, Enphase Energy actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Summing Up

We could understand if investors are concerned about Enphase Energy's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of US$348.4m. The cherry on top was that in converted 164% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$297m. So we don't have any problem with Enphase Energy's use of debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Enphase Energy that you should be aware of.

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.