Science Group (LON:SAG) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. Importantly, Science Group plc (LON:SAG) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Science Group

How Much Debt Does Science Group Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2020 Science Group had UK£17.1m of debt, an increase on UK£16.3m, over one year. But on the other hand it also has UK£27.1m in cash, leading to a UK£9.92m net cash position.

How Strong Is Science Group's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Science Group had liabilities of UK£29.9m due within 12 months, and liabilities of UK£20.8m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of UK£27.1m and UK£10.9m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by UK£12.7m.

Given Science Group has a market capitalization of UK£145.8m, 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. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Science Group boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Shareholders should be aware that Science Group's EBIT was down 26% last year. If that earnings trend continues then paying off its debt will be about as easy as herding cats on to a roller coaster. 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 Science Group's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Science Group 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. Over the last three years, Science Group actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Science Group has UK£9.92m in net cash. And it impressed us with free cash flow of UK£18m, being 215% of its EBIT. So we don't have any problem with Science Group's use of debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example Science Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think 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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