We Think Dorel Industries (TSE:DII.B) Is Taking Some Risk With Its Debt

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We can see that Dorel Industries Inc. (TSE:DII.B) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. 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 Dorel Industries

How Much Debt Does Dorel Industries Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Dorel Industries had US$417.7m of debt in June 2020, down from US$513.4m, one year before. However, it also had US$52.0m in cash, and so its net debt is US$365.7m.

How Strong Is Dorel Industries's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Dorel Industries had liabilities of US$689.9m due within a year, and liabilities of US$493.1m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$52.0m in cash and US$445.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$685.4m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit casts a shadow over the US$241.8m company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. After all, Dorel Industries would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). 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).

While we wouldn't worry about Dorel Industries's net debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.9, we think its super-low interest cover of 1.7 times is a sign of high leverage. So shareholders should probably be aware that interest expenses appear to have really impacted the business lately. Given the debt load, it's hardly ideal that Dorel Industries's EBIT was pretty flat over the last twelve months. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Dorel Industries can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. During the last three years, Dorel Industries generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 82% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.

Our View

To be frank both Dorel Industries's interest cover and its track record of staying on top of its total liabilities make us rather uncomfortable with its debt levels. But on the bright side, its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. Overall, we think it's fair to say that Dorel Industries has enough debt that there are some real risks around the balance sheet. If everything goes well that may pay off but the downside of this debt is a greater risk of permanent losses. 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 for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Dorel Industries , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

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