Is Wai Hung Group Holdings (HKG:3321) A Risky Investment?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Wai Hung Group Holdings Limited (HKG:3321) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. 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 Wai Hung Group Holdings

What Is Wai Hung Group Holdings's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2021 Wai Hung Group Holdings had MO$83.7m of debt, an increase on MO$26.7m, over one year. However, it also had MO$18.9m in cash, and so its net debt is MO$64.8m.

How Healthy Is Wai Hung Group Holdings' Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Wai Hung Group Holdings had liabilities of MO$161.6m due within 12 months, and liabilities of MO$1.67m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of MO$18.9m and MO$272.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So it actually has MO$127.6m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus suggests that Wai Hung Group Holdings has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

Wai Hung Group Holdings's net debt is only 1.2 times its EBITDA. And its EBIT easily covers its interest expense, being 15.8 times the size. So you could argue it is no more threatened by its debt than an elephant is by a mouse. Also positive, Wai Hung Group Holdings grew its EBIT by 30% in the last year, and that should make it easier to pay down debt, going forward. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Wai Hung Group Holdings'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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. Over the last three years, Wai Hung Group Holdings 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

Wai Hung Group Holdings's interest cover suggests it can handle its debt as easily as Cristiano Ronaldo could score a goal against an under 14's goalkeeper. But we must concede we find its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow has the opposite effect. Taking all this data into account, it seems to us that Wai Hung Group Holdings takes a pretty sensible approach to debt. While that brings some risk, it can also enhance returns for shareholders. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Wai Hung Group Holdings (including 1 which is concerning) .

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.

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.

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