You Won't Believe How Much Debt Freeport-McMoRan Inc. Has

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX), one of the world's largest copper miners, made what turned out to be an ill-fated diversification attempt in 2013. The energy business it bought floundered and, because the deal was financed with debt, left Freeport struggling to make ends meet. It's been a long slog, but Freeport's balance sheet is starting to look a lot better -- though it's nowhere near its pre-deal strength.

If you examined Freeport's balance sheet at the end of 2012 it was in great shape. The miner had $3.7 billion in cash, a current ratio of nearly 3.1, and long-term debt of $3.5 billion. At that point Freeport's financial foundation was rock solid, bordering on pristine.

Image source: Getty Images

Continue reading


Source: Fool.com