Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that '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. Importantly, Sun Country Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNCY) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.
Our free stock report includes 1 warning sign investors should be aware of before investing in Sun Country Airlines Holdings. Read for free now.When Is Debt A Problem?
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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
What Is Sun Country Airlines Holdings's Debt?
The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Sun Country Airlines Holdings had debt of US$312.6m at the end of March 2025, a reduction from US$388.1m over a year. On the flip side, it has US$158.8m in cash leading to net debt of about US$153.8m.
How Strong Is Sun Country Airlines Holdings' Balance Sheet?
The latest balance sheet data shows that Sun Country Airlines Holdings had liabilities of US$382.9m due within a year, and liabilities of US$606.1m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$158.8m and US$39.7m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling US$790.6m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.
When you consider that this deficiency exceeds the company's US$631.5m market capitalization, you might well be inclined to review the balance sheet intently. Hypothetically, extremely heavy dilution would be required if the company were forced to pay down its liabilities by raising capital at the current share price.
Check out our latest analysis for Sun Country Airlines Holdings
We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (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).
While Sun Country Airlines Holdings's low debt to EBITDA ratio of 0.74 suggests only modest use of debt, the fact that EBIT only covered the interest expense by 3.1 times last year does give us pause. But the interest payments are certainly sufficient to have us thinking about how affordable its debt is. The bad news is that Sun Country Airlines Holdings saw its EBIT decline by 14% over the last year. If that sort of decline is not arrested, then the managing its debt will be harder than selling broccoli flavoured ice-cream for a premium. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Sun Country Airlines Holdings can strengthen its balance sheet over time. 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 business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the last three years, Sun Country Airlines Holdings reported free cash flow worth 14% of its EBIT, which is really quite low. That limp level of cash conversion undermines its ability to manage and pay down debt.
Our View
On the face of it, Sun Country Airlines Holdings's EBIT growth rate left us tentative about the stock, and its level of total liabilities was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. But at least it's pretty decent at managing its debt, based on its EBITDA,; that's encouraging. We're quite clear that we consider Sun Country Airlines Holdings to be really rather risky, as a result of its balance sheet health. So we're almost as wary of this stock as a hungry kitten is about falling into its owner's fish pond: once bitten, twice shy, as they say. 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. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Sun Country Airlines Holdings you should know about.
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.
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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.