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Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

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.' 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 Innospec Inc. (NASDAQ:IOSP) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Innospec

What Is Innospec's Net Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Innospec had US$210.4m in debt in March 2019; about the same as the year before. However, because it has a cash reserve of US$123.5m, its net debt is less, at about US$86.9m.

NasdaqGS:IOSP Historical Debt, August 2nd 2019
NasdaqGS:IOSP Historical Debt, August 2nd 2019

How Strong Is Innospec's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Innospec had liabilities of US$300.0m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$377.7m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$123.5m in cash and US$296.7m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$257.5m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Since publicly traded Innospec shares are worth a total of US$2.26b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its 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).

Innospec has a low net debt to EBITDA ratio of only 0.43. And its EBIT easily covers its interest expense, being 24.0 times the size. So you could argue it is no more threatened by its debt than an elephant is by a mouse. And we also note warmly that Innospec grew its EBIT by 14% last year, making its debt load easier to handle. 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 Innospec'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, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. Over the most recent three years, Innospec recorded free cash flow worth 52% 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

The good news is that Innospec's demonstrated ability to cover its interest expense with its EBIT delights us like a fluffy puppy does a toddler. And its EBIT growth rate is good too. Taking all this data into account, it seems to us that Innospec takes a pretty sensible approach to debt. While that brings some risk, it can also enhance returns for shareholders. Of course, we wouldn't say no to the extra confidence that we'd gain if we knew that Innospec insiders have been buying shares: if you're on the same wavelength, you can find out if insiders are buying by clicking this link.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

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