Does Maverix Metals (TSE:MMX) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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. We can see that Maverix Metals Inc. (TSE:MMX) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

Check out our latest analysis for Maverix Metals

What Is Maverix Metals's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Maverix Metals had US$12.5m of debt in December 2021, down from US$32.0m, one year before. But it also has US$19.7m in cash to offset that, meaning it has US$7.25m net cash.

How Healthy Is Maverix Metals' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Maverix Metals had liabilities of US$2.91m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$17.8m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$19.7m as well as receivables valued at US$7.89m due within 12 months. So it actually has US$6.92m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This state of affairs indicates that Maverix Metals' balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So while it's hard to imagine that the US$604.8m company is struggling for cash, we still think it's worth monitoring its balance sheet. Succinctly put, Maverix Metals boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

The good news is that Maverix Metals has increased its EBIT by 4.8% over twelve months, which should ease any concerns about debt repayment. 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 Maverix Metals's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Maverix Metals 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. Happily for any shareholders, Maverix Metals actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last two years. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Summing up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Maverix Metals has net cash of US$7.25m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. And it impressed us with free cash flow of US$63m, being 252% of its EBIT. So is Maverix Metals's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Maverix Metals that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.