CompanyGraph
Records borrowings due within one year, exposing near-term repayment pressure that the company must refinance or satisfy from available cash.
Short-term debt includes loans and borrowings that must be repaid within a year. High short-term debt increases near-term refinancing and repayment risk.
Short-term debt represents borrowed money that must be repaid within one year, including bank loans, commercial paper, lines of credit, and the current portion of long-term debt coming due. This current liability creates near-term repayment obligations that must be met from operating cash flow, asset sales, or refinancing. Managing short-term debt is critical for maintaining liquidity.
Components of short-term debt:
- Bank lines of credit: Revolving credit facilities with banks
- Commercial paper: Short-term unsecured promissory notes
- Current portion of long-term debt: Long-term debt principal due within one year
- Bank overdrafts: Negative bank account balances
- Short-term loans: Bridge financing and working capital loans
Why short-term debt matters:
- Liquidity pressure: Must be repaid soon regardless of business conditions
- Refinancing risk: May need to replace maturing debt
- Interest rate exposure: Often floating rate, sensitive to rate changes
- Working capital funding: Finances operations between cash collections
Short-term debt vs. accounts payable:
- Short-term debt: Borrowed money with interest obligations
- Accounts payable: Trade credit; typically no interest if paid on time
Analysing short-term debt:
- Current ratio impact: Short-term debt is in current liabilities
- Cash coverage: Can cash and near-cash cover short-term debt?
- Maturity schedule: When specifically is repayment required?
- Interest rates: Fixed vs. floating; current cost of borrowing
Liquidity metrics:
Cash / Short-term Debt: Immediate coverage (Cash + Receivables) / Short-term Debt: Quick coverage Operating Cash Flow / Short-term Debt: Cash generation coverage
Risk factors:
- High reliance: Funding long-term needs with short-term debt is risky
- Market conditions: Credit markets can freeze, making refinancing difficult
- Covenant compliance: Short-term facilities often have restrictive covenants
- Rollover risk: Lenders may not renew facilities
Prudent companies maintain backup liquidity through unused credit lines and cash reserves to ensure they can meet short-term debt obligations even if refinancing markets become difficult.
How it relates
Accounts PayableAccounts payable is the amount the company owes suppliers for goods and services already received. It represents short-term bills that still need to be paid.+Short-term Debt+Deferred RevenueDeferred revenue is money the company has collected in advance for products or services it has not yet delivered. It represents an obligation to provide value in the future.+Other Current LiabilitiesOther current liabilities are smaller or mixed short-term obligations that do not fit into specific categories, such as certain taxes or accrued expenses. They still need to be paid within a year.=Total Current LiabilitiesTotal current liabilities are obligations that must be paid within a year, such as supplier bills, short-term debt and taxes due. They are important for understanding short-term pressure on cash.
Where it fits
Short-term Debt→Leverage