The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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. Importantly, Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

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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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

How Much Debt Does Peabody Energy Carry?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Peabody Energy had US$323.7m in debt in March 2025; about the same as the year before. But it also has US$696.5m in cash to offset that, meaning it has US$372.8m net cash.

A Look At Peabody Energy's Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Peabody Energy had liabilities of US$707.6m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.36b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$696.5m in cash and US$277.7m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$1.09b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This is a mountain of leverage relative to its market capitalization of US$1.60b. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Peabody Energy boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

View our latest analysis for Peabody Energy

In fact Peabody Energy's saving grace is its low debt levels, because its EBIT has tanked 53% in the last twelve months. Falling earnings (if the trend continues) could eventually make even modest debt quite risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Peabody Energy 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.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Peabody Energy may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Peabody Energy produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 76% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Summing Up

Although Peabody Energy's balance sheet isn't particularly strong, due to the total liabilities, it is clearly positive to see that it has net cash of US$372.8m. The cherry on top was that in converted 76% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$197m. So we are not troubled with Peabody Energy's debt use. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Peabody Energy that 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.