Stock Analysis

We Think Voxtur Analytics (CVE:VXTR) Has A Fair Chunk Of Debt

TSXV:VXTR
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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 Voxtur Analytics Corp. (CVE:VXTR) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

See our latest analysis for Voxtur Analytics

What Is Voxtur Analytics's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Voxtur Analytics had CA$41.1m of debt in March 2024, down from CA$64.6m, one year before. However, it also had CA$2.36m in cash, and so its net debt is CA$38.7m.

debt-equity-history-analysis
TSXV:VXTR Debt to Equity History August 1st 2024

A Look At Voxtur Analytics' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Voxtur Analytics had liabilities of CA$49.5m due within 12 months and liabilities of CA$7.56m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CA$2.36m in cash and CA$6.55m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling CA$48.2m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Voxtur Analytics has a market capitalization of CA$82.9m, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But we definitely want to keep our eyes open to indications that its debt is bringing too much risk. 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 Voxtur Analytics 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.

Over 12 months, Voxtur Analytics reported revenue of CA$50m, which is a gain of 55%, although it did not report any earnings before interest and tax. With any luck the company will be able to grow its way to profitability.

Caveat Emptor

Even though Voxtur Analytics managed to grow its top line quite deftly, the cold hard truth is that it is losing money on the EBIT line. Its EBIT loss was a whopping CA$43m. Considering that alongside the liabilities mentioned above does not give us much confidence that company should be using so much debt. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. However, it doesn't help that it burned through CA$23m of cash over the last year. So suffice it to say we consider the stock very 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. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with Voxtur Analytics (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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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.