The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a 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. We note that Q2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:QTWO) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free 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. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Q2 Holdings

How Much Debt Does Q2 Holdings Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Q2 Holdings had US$489.5m of debt in June 2023, down from US$667.3m, one year before. However, it also had US$280.0m in cash, and so its net debt is US$209.5m.

How Strong Is Q2 Holdings' Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Q2 Holdings had liabilities of US$168.9m due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$562.4m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of US$280.0m and US$50.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling US$401.2m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This deficit isn't so bad because Q2 Holdings is worth US$1.80b, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt. 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 Q2 Holdings 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.

In the last year Q2 Holdings wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 12%, to US$599m. That rate of growth is a bit slow for our taste, but it takes all types to make a world.

Caveat Emptor

Importantly, Q2 Holdings had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last year. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at US$104m. 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. Quite frankly we think the balance sheet is far from match-fit, although it could be improved with time. We would feel better if it turned its trailing twelve month loss of US$84m into a profit. So to be blunt we do think it is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. 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 Q2 Holdings .

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.