Is DexCom (NASDAQ:DXCM) Weighed On By Its Debt Load?

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 might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We note that DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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, 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for DexCom

How Much Debt Does DexCom Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at June 2019 DexCom had debt of US$1.03b, up from US$342.3m in one year. However, it does have US$1.38b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$342.8m.

NasdaqGS:DXCM Historical Debt, October 12th 2019
NasdaqGS:DXCM Historical Debt, October 12th 2019

How Healthy Is DexCom's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that DexCom had liabilities of US$288.2m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$1.09b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$1.38b and US$217.3m worth of receivables due within a year. So it can boast US$217.2m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This state of affairs indicates that DexCom's 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$14.2b company is short on cash, but still worth keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Simply put, the fact that DexCom has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if DexCom 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.

Over 12 months, DexCom reported revenue of US$1.2b, which is a gain of 47%, although it did not report any earnings before interest and tax. Shareholders probably have their fingers crossed that it can grow its way to profits.

So How Risky Is DexCom?

While DexCom lost money on an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) level, it actually generated positive free cash flow US$39m. So although it is loss-making, it doesn't seem to have too much near-term balance sheet risk, keeping in mind the net cash. Keeping in mind its 47% revenue growth over the last year, we think there's a decent chance the company is on track. We'd see further strong growth as an optimistic indication. When I consider a company to be a bit risky, I think it is responsible to check out whether insiders have been reporting any share sales. Luckily, you can click here ito see our graphic depicting DexCom insider transactions.

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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.