Is Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) A Risky Investment?

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. Importantly, Iluka Resources Limited (ASX:ILU) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Iluka Resources

How Much Debt Does Iluka Resources Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Iluka Resources had debt of AU$52.5m at the end of June 2021, a reduction from AU$88.2m over a year. But it also has AU$272.6m in cash to offset that, meaning it has AU$220.1m net cash.

How Healthy Is Iluka Resources' Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Iluka Resources had liabilities of AU$276.7m falling due within a year, and liabilities of AU$791.0m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had AU$272.6m in cash and AU$180.5m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by AU$614.6m.

Of course, Iluka Resources has a market capitalization of AU$3.98b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Iluka Resources also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

Also good is that Iluka Resources grew its EBIT at 10% over the last year, further increasing its ability to manage debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Iluka Resources can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Iluka Resources has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Looking at the most recent three years, Iluka Resources recorded free cash flow of 41% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Summing up

While Iluka Resources does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of AU$220.1m. On top of that, it increased its EBIT by 10% in the last twelve months. So we don't have any problem with Iluka Resources's use of debt. 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. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Iluka Resources that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

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.

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