China Communications Services (HKG:552) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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. We note that China Communications Services Corporation Limited (HKG:552) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. 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.

View our latest analysis for China Communications Services

How Much Debt Does China Communications Services Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2022, China Communications Services had CN¥850.0m of debt, up from CN¥764.9m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. But on the other hand it also has CN¥19.5b in cash, leading to a CN¥18.6b net cash position.

A Look At China Communications Services' Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that China Communications Services had liabilities of CN¥64.2b due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥2.30b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥19.5b as well as receivables valued at CN¥47.8b due within 12 months. So its total liabilities are just about perfectly matched by its shorter-term, liquid assets.

This short term liquidity is a sign that China Communications Services could probably pay off its debt with ease, as its balance sheet is far from stretched. Succinctly put, China Communications Services boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

On the other hand, China Communications Services's EBIT dived 15%, over the last year. If that rate of decline in earnings continues, the company could find itself in a tight spot. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if China Communications Services can strengthen its balance sheet over time. 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. China Communications Services 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. Happily for any shareholders, China Communications Services actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. There's nothing better than incoming cash when it comes to staying in your lenders' good graces.

Summing Up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that China Communications Services has net cash of CN¥18.6b, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. The cherry on top was that in converted 110% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in CN¥1.7b. So is China Communications Services's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for China Communications Services you should be aware of.

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.