Is Qualco Group (ATH:QLCO) Using Too Much Debt?

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.' 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. As with many other companies Qualco Group S.A. (ATH:QLCO) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

What Is Qualco Group's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2025 Qualco Group had €58.0m of debt, an increase on €30.5m, over one year. But it also has €71.5m in cash to offset that, meaning it has €13.5m net cash.

How Strong Is Qualco Group's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Qualco Group had liabilities of €93.4m falling due within a year, and liabilities of €64.7m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had €71.5m in cash and €57.7m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by €28.9m.

Of course, Qualco Group has a market capitalization of €430.0m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. 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, Qualco Group boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

View our latest analysis for Qualco Group

While Qualco Group doesn't seem to have gained much on the EBIT line, at least earnings remain stable for now. 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 Qualco Group'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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. While Qualco 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, Qualco Group reported free cash flow worth 14% of its EBIT, which is really quite low. That limp level of cash conversion undermines its ability to manage and pay down debt.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Qualco Group has €13.5m in net cash. So we don't have any problem with Qualco Group's use of debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Be aware that Qualco Group is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , 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.