Majestic Gold (CVE:MJS) Has A Rock Solid Balance Sheet

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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. Importantly, Majestic Gold Corp. (CVE:MJS) does carry debt. 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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

See our latest analysis for Majestic Gold

How Much Debt Does Majestic Gold Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Majestic Gold had debt of US$4.37m at the end of March 2023, a reduction from US$4.73m over a year. But on the other hand it also has US$58.2m in cash, leading to a US$53.8m net cash position.

A Look At Majestic Gold's Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Majestic Gold had liabilities of US$21.9m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$9.64m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$58.2m in cash and US$1.29m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it can boast US$28.0m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus liquidity suggests that Majestic Gold's balance sheet could take a hit just as well as Homer Simpson's head can take a punch. On this view, lenders should feel as safe as the beloved of a black-belt karate master. Simply put, the fact that Majestic Gold has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely.

Also good is that Majestic Gold grew its EBIT at 10% over the last year, further increasing its ability to manage debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Majestic Gold will need earnings to service that debt. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. Majestic Gold may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the most recent three years, Majestic Gold recorded free cash flow worth 72% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Majestic Gold has US$53.8m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. The cherry on top was that in converted 72% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in US$21m. So we don't think Majestic Gold's use of debt is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Majestic Gold you should know about.

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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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.