Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. Importantly, Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

How Much Debt Does Zscaler Carry?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Zscaler had US$1.15b in debt in July 2024; about the same as the year before. But on the other hand it also has US$2.41b in cash, leading to a US$1.26b net cash position.

How Healthy Is Zscaler's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Zscaler had liabilities of US$3.11b due within a year, and liabilities of US$318.0m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$2.41b as well as receivables valued at US$747.2m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$274.0m.

Having regard to Zscaler's size, it seems that its liquid assets are well balanced with its total liabilities. So while it's hard to imagine that the US$26.2b company is struggling for cash, we still think it's worth monitoring its balance sheet. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Zscaler boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Zscaler 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.

In the last year Zscaler wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 34%, to US$2.2b. With any luck the company will be able to grow its way to profitability.

So How Risky Is Zscaler?

Although Zscaler had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last twelve months, it generated positive free cash flow of US$585m. So although it is loss-making, it doesn't seem to have too much near-term balance sheet risk, keeping in mind the net cash. One positive is that Zscaler is growing revenue apace, which makes it easier to sell a growth story and raise capital if need be. But that doesn't change our opinion that the stock is risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Zscaler .

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.