ViacomCBS: Debt Overview

Over the past three months, shares of ViacomCBS VIAC decreased by 30.55%. Before we understand the importance of debt, let us look at how much debt ViacomCBS has.

ViacomCBS's Debt

Based on ViacomCBS's financial statement as of May 6, 2021, long-term debt is at $17.77 billion and current debt is at $19.00 million, amounting to $17.79 billion in total debt. Adjusted for $5.50 billion in cash-equivalents, the company's net debt is at $12.29 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.

To understand the degree of financial leverage a company has, shareholders look at the debt ratio. Considering ViacomCBS's $54.77 billion in total assets, the debt-ratio is at 0.32. 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 average for another.

Why Debt Is Important

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. Having financial leverage also allows companies to use additional capital for business operations, allowing equity owners to retain excess profit, generated by the debt capital.

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