Aaron's (NYSE:AAN) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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 Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE:AAN) makes use of debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free 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. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

Check out our latest analysis for Aaron's

How Much Debt Does Aaron's Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Aaron's had debt of US$175.7m at the end of June 2020, a reduction from US$343.8m over a year. However, it does have US$313.1m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$137.4m.

A Look At Aaron's's Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Aaron's had liabilities of US$249.2m due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$945.3m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of US$313.1m and US$196.3m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total US$685.2m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Since publicly traded Aaron's shares are worth a total of US$3.67b, 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. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Aaron's boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Aaron's if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 25% cut to EBIT over the last year. When a company sees its earnings tank, it can sometimes find its relationships with its lenders turn sour. 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 Aaron's's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Aaron's has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, Aaron's recorded free cash flow worth 62% 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.

Summing up

While Aaron's does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of US$137.4m. So we are not troubled with Aaron's's debt use. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Take risks, for example - Aaron's has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.

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. 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.

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