Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.'  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.  As with many other companies Insight Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSIT) makes use of debt.  But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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.  Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses.  When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

How Much Debt Does Insight Enterprises Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of March 2024, Insight Enterprises had US$1.11b of debt, up from US$925.7m a year ago. Click the image for more detail.    However, it does have US$379.1m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about US$729.5m.  

NasdaqGS:NSIT Debt to Equity History June 4th 2024

How Strong Is Insight Enterprises' Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Insight Enterprises had liabilities of US$3.50b due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$1.31b due beyond 12 months.   On the other hand, it had cash of US$379.1m and US$3.67b worth of receivables due within a year.   So it has liabilities totalling US$758.7m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.  

Since publicly traded Insight Enterprises shares are worth a total of US$6.36b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat.  Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse.  

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover).  Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Insight Enterprises has a low net debt to EBITDA ratio of only 1.4.  And its EBIT easily covers its interest expense, being 10.5 times the size.  So we're pretty relaxed about its super-conservative use of debt.        Fortunately, Insight Enterprises grew its EBIT by 8.4% in the last year, making that debt load look even more manageable.      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 Insight Enterprises'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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash.   So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow.    Over the most recent three years, Insight Enterprises recorded free cash flow worth 75% 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.  

Our View

Insight Enterprises's conversion of EBIT to free cash flow suggests it can handle its debt as easily as Cristiano Ronaldo could score a goal against an under 14's goalkeeper.   And that's just the beginning of the good news since its interest cover is also very heartening.      Zooming out, Insight Enterprises seems to use debt quite reasonably; and that gets the nod from us.  After all, sensible leverage can boost returns on equity.    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 example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Insight Enterprises that you should be aware of before investing here.  

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.