What Does Graphic Packaging's Debt Look Like?

Over the past three months, shares of Graphic Packaging Holding GPK rose by 15.44%. Before having a look at the importance of debt, let us look at how much debt Graphic Packaging Holding has.

Graphic Packaging Holding's Debt

According to the Graphic Packaging Holding's most recent balance sheet as reported on April 27, 2021, total debt is at $3.67 billion, with $3.15 billion in long-term debt and $527.50 million in current debt. Adjusting for $179.00 million in cash-equivalents, the company has a net debt of $3.50 billion.

Let's define some of the terms we used in the paragraph above. Current debt is the portion of a company's debt which is due within 1 year, while long-term debt is the portion due in more than 1 year. Cash equivalents include cash and any liquid securities with maturity periods of 90 days or less. Total debt equals current debt plus long-term debt minus cash equivalents.

Investors look at the debt-ratio to understand how much financial leverage a company has. Graphic Packaging Holding has $7.80 billion in total assets, therefore making the debt-ratio 0.47. As a rule of thumb, a debt-ratio more than one indicates that a considerable portion of debt is funded by assets. A higher debt-ratio can also imply that the company might be putting itself at risk for default, if interest rates were to increase. However, debt-ratios vary widely across different industries. A debt ratio of 35% might be higher for one industry and normal for another.

Importance Of Debt

Besides equity, debt is an important factor in the capital structure of a company, and contributes to its growth. Due to its lower financing cost compared to equity, it becomes an attractive option for executives trying to raise capital.

Interest-payment obligations can impact the cash-flow of the company. Equity owners can keep excess profit, generated from the debt capital, when companies use the debt capital for its business operations.

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