We Think Domain Holdings Australia (ASX:DHG) Can Stay On Top Of Its Debt

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We can see that Domain Holdings Australia Limited (ASX:DHG) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Domain Holdings Australia

What Is Domain Holdings Australia's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2020 Domain Holdings Australia had AU$171.3m of debt, an increase on AU$162.5m, over one year. However, it also had AU$65.5m in cash, and so its net debt is AU$105.8m.

How Healthy Is Domain Holdings Australia's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Domain Holdings Australia had liabilities of AU$76.1m due within a year, and liabilities of AU$292.1m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of AU$65.5m as well as receivables valued at AU$38.0m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by AU$264.7m.

Given Domain Holdings Australia has a market capitalization of AU$2.37b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward.

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

Domain Holdings Australia's net debt is sitting at a very reasonable 2.0 times its EBITDA, while its EBIT covered its interest expense just 6.8 times last year. While that doesn't worry us too much, it does suggest the interest payments are somewhat of a burden. Importantly, Domain Holdings Australia's EBIT fell a jaw-dropping 33% in the last twelve months. If that decline continues then paying off debt will be harder than selling foie gras at a vegan convention. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Domain Holdings Australia's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. During the last three years, Domain Holdings Australia generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 91% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Our View

Based on what we've seen Domain Holdings Australia is not finding it easy, given its EBIT growth rate, but the other factors we considered give us cause to be optimistic. There's no doubt that its ability to to convert EBIT to free cash flow is pretty flash. Considering this range of data points, we think Domain Holdings Australia is in a good position to manage its debt levels. But a word of caution: we think debt levels are high enough to justify ongoing monitoring. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Domain Holdings Australia you should know about.

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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