Here's Why BOE HC SemiTek (SZSE:300323) Has A Meaningful Debt Burden

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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 BOE HC SemiTek Corporation (SZSE:300323) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for BOE HC SemiTek

What Is BOE HC SemiTek's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that BOE HC SemiTek had debt of CN¥2.72b at the end of June 2024, a reduction from CN¥3.01b over a year. On the flip side, it has CN¥1.49b in cash leading to net debt of about CN¥1.22b.

How Healthy Is BOE HC SemiTek's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that BOE HC SemiTek had liabilities of CN¥3.09b falling due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥1.24b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥1.49b as well as receivables valued at CN¥1.38b due within 12 months. So its liabilities total CN¥1.46b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given BOE HC SemiTek has a market capitalization of CN¥8.76b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse.

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). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

BOE HC SemiTek has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.6 and its EBIT covered its interest expense 2.7 times. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. However, the silver lining was that BOE HC SemiTek achieved a positive EBIT of CN¥189m in the last twelve months, an improvement on the prior year's loss. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is BOE HC SemiTek's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So it's worth checking how much of the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) is backed by free cash flow. Over the last year, BOE HC SemiTek saw substantial negative free cash flow, in total. While that may be a result of expenditure for growth, it does make the debt far more risky.

Our View

Mulling over BOE HC SemiTek's attempt at converting EBIT to free cash flow, we're certainly not enthusiastic. Having said that, its ability to handle its total liabilities isn't such a worry. Looking at the balance sheet and taking into account all these factors, we do believe that debt is making BOE HC SemiTek stock a bit risky. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we'd generally feel more comfortable with less leverage. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example - BOE HC SemiTek has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.