Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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 can see that Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRT) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Copart

What Is Copart's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of October 2023 Copart had US$9.46m of debt, an increase on US$1.97m, over one year. But on the other hand it also has US$2.63b in cash, leading to a US$2.62b net cash position.

How Healthy Is Copart's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Copart had liabilities of US$624.4m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$272.7m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$2.63b in cash and US$174.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it actually has US$1.91b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This short term liquidity is a sign that Copart could probably pay off its debt with ease, as its balance sheet is far from stretched. Succinctly put, Copart boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

And we also note warmly that Copart grew its EBIT by 16% last year, making its debt load easier to handle. 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 Copart 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.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Copart has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, Copart recorded free cash flow worth 56% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Copart has US$2.62b in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. And we liked the look of last year's 16% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think Copart's use of debt is risky. Another factor that would give us confidence in Copart would be if insiders have been buying shares: if you're conscious of that signal too, you can find out instantly by clicking this link.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.