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.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We can see that Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?
What Risk Does Debt Bring?
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. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.
See our latest analysis for Exxon Mobil
What Is Exxon Mobil's Net Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Exxon Mobil had US$56.6b of debt in September 2021, down from US$68.8b, one year before. However, it also had US$4.77b in cash, and so its net debt is US$51.8b.
A Look At Exxon Mobil's Liabilities
We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Exxon Mobil had liabilities of US$61.9b falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$107.3b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$4.77b as well as receivables valued at US$29.5b due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$134.9b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.
Exxon Mobil has a very large market capitalization of US$260.4b, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. But we definitely want to keep our eyes open to indications that its debt is bringing too much risk.
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). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).
We'd say that Exxon Mobil's moderate net debt to EBITDA ratio ( being 1.5), indicates prudence when it comes to debt. And its strong interest cover of 13.3 times, makes us even more comfortable. It was also good to see that despite losing money on the EBIT line last year, Exxon Mobil turned things around in the last 12 months, delivering and EBIT of US$14b. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Exxon Mobil 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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So it is important to check how much of its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) converts to actual free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, Exxon Mobil actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last year. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.
Our View
Exxon Mobil's interest cover suggests it can handle its debt as easily as Cristiano Ronaldo could score a goal against an under 14's goalkeeper. But, on a more sombre note, we are a little concerned by its level of total liabilities. Looking at all the aforementioned factors together, it strikes us that Exxon Mobil can handle its debt fairly comfortably. Of course, while this leverage can enhance returns on equity, it does bring more risk, so it's worth keeping an eye on this one. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. We've identified 1 warning sign with Exxon Mobil , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/energy/nyse-xom/exxon-mobil/news/is-exxon-mobil-nysexom-using-too-much-debt-1
2021-11-23 13:28:45Z
CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vc2ltcGx5d2FsbC5zdC9zdG9ja3MvdXMvZW5lcmd5L255c2UteG9tL2V4eG9uLW1vYmlsL25ld3MvaXMtZXh4b24tbW9iaWwtbnlzZXhvbS11c2luZy10b28tbXVjaC1kZWJ0LTHSAXFodHRwczovL3NpbXBseXdhbGwuc3Qvc3RvY2tzL3VzL2VuZXJneS9ueXNlLXhvbS9leHhvbi1tb2JpbC9uZXdzL2lzLWV4eG9uLW1vYmlsLW55c2V4b20tdXNpbmctdG9vLW11Y2gtZGVidC0xL2FtcA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Is Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Using Too Much Debt? - Simply Wall St"
Post a Comment