These 4 Measures Indicate That Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) (HKG:2689) Is Using Debt Extensively

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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 note that Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited (HKG:2689) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)

How Much Debt Does Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2021 Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) had CN¥34.7b of debt, an increase on CN¥25.9b, over one year. However, because it has a cash reserve of CN¥8.24b, its net debt is less, at about CN¥26.5b.

How Strong Is Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)'s Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) had liabilities of CN¥27.4b due within 12 months and liabilities of CN¥21.4b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥8.24b and CN¥6.76b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total CN¥33.8b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of CN¥27.2b, we think shareholders really should watch Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)'s debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. Hypothetically, extremely heavy dilution would be required if the company were forced to pay down its liabilities by raising capital at the current share price.

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.8, which signals significant debt, but is still pretty reasonable for most types of business. But its EBIT was about 12.2 times its interest expense, implying the company isn't really paying a high cost to maintain that level of debt. Even were the low cost to prove unsustainable, that is a good sign. The bad news is that Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) saw its EBIT decline by 15% over the last year. If earnings continue to decline at that rate then handling the debt will be more difficult than taking three children under 5 to a fancy pants restaurant. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) 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, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Considering the last three years, Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is far more risky for companies with unreliable free cash flow, so shareholders should be hoping that the past expenditure will produce free cash flow in the future.

Our View

To be frank both Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)'s level of total liabilities and its track record of (not) growing its EBIT make us rather uncomfortable with its debt levels. But on the bright side, its interest cover is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. Overall, it seems to us that Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)'s balance sheet is really quite a risk to the business. So we're almost as wary of this stock as a hungry kitten is about falling into its owner's fish pond: once bitten, twice shy, as they say. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) (including 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) .

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.