Is Central China New Life (HKG:9983) Using Debt Sensibly?

Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. As with many other companies Central China New Life Limited (HKG:9983) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Central China New Life

How Much Debt Does Central China New Life Carry?

As you can see below, Central China New Life had CN¥52.0m of debt, at June 2024, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. But it also has CN¥2.09b in cash to offset that, meaning it has CN¥2.03b net cash.

A Look At Central China New Life's Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Central China New Life had liabilities of CN¥2.99b falling due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥452.9m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥2.09b as well as receivables valued at CN¥2.64b due within 12 months. So it actually has CN¥1.28b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This luscious liquidity implies that Central China New Life's balance sheet is sturdy like a giant sequoia tree. With this in mind one could posit that its balance sheet means the company is able to handle some adversity. Succinctly put, Central China New Life boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! 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 Central China New Life can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Over 12 months, Central China New Life saw its revenue hold pretty steady, and it did not report positive earnings before interest and tax. While that hardly impresses, its not too bad either.

So How Risky Is Central China New Life?

While Central China New Life lost money on an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) level, it actually generated positive free cash flow CN¥614m. So although it is loss-making, it doesn't seem to have too much near-term balance sheet risk, keeping in mind the net cash. There's no doubt the next few years will be crucial to how the business matures. 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 - Central China New Life has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.