Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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. As with many other companies Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Meta Platforms

What Is Meta Platforms's Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2023, Meta Platforms had US$18.4b of debt, up from US$9.92b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it does have US$61.1b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$42.7b.

How Strong Is Meta Platforms' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Meta Platforms had liabilities of US$30.5b due within 12 months and liabilities of US$42.9b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$61.1b and US$12.9b worth of receivables due within a year. So these liquid assets roughly match the total liabilities.

This state of affairs indicates that Meta Platforms' balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So it's very unlikely that the US$855.1b company is short on cash, but still worth keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Succinctly put, Meta Platforms boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Also positive, Meta Platforms grew its EBIT by 24% in the last year, and that should make it easier to pay down debt, going forward. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Meta Platforms 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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. While Meta Platforms 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. During the last three years, Meta Platforms produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 79% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This cold hard cash means it can reduce its debt when it wants to.

Summing Up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Meta Platforms has net cash of US$42.7b, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. The cherry on top was that in converted 79% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$38b. So is Meta Platforms's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. 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. For example - Meta Platforms has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.

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.