Does Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the 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 can see that Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?” data-reactid=”18″>David Iben put it well when he said, ‘Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the 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 can see that Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) 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 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. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. 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.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content=" See our latest analysis for Netflix ” data-reactid=”21″>See our latest analysis for Netflix

What Is Netflix’s Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at June 2019 Netflix had debt of US$12.6b, up from US$8.34b in one year. However, it also had US$5.00b in cash, and so its net debt is US$7.59b.

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How Strong Is Netflix’s Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Netflix had liabilities of US$6.93b due within 12 months and liabilities of US$17.1b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$5.00b in cash and US$492.0m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$18.6b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Given Netflix has a humongous market capitalization of US$128.6b, it’s hard to believe these liabilities pose much 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). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Netflix's debt is 3.9 times its EBITDA, and its EBIT cover its interest expense 4.0 times over. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. Looking on the bright side, Netflix boosted its EBIT by a silky 37% in the last year. Like the milk of human kindness that sort of growth increases resilience, making the company more capable of managing debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Netflix 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.” data-reactid=”40″>Netflix’s debt is 3.9 times its EBITDA, and its EBIT cover its interest expense 4.0 times over. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we’d stop short of calling them problematic. Looking on the bright side, Netflix boosted its EBIT by a silky 37% in the last year. Like the milk of human kindness that sort of growth increases resilience, making the company more capable of managing debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Netflix 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. So it’s worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. During the last three years, Netflix burned a lot of cash. While that may be a result of expenditure for growth, it does make the debt far more risky.