Times China Holdings (HKG:1233) Takes On Some Risk With Its Use Of Debt

Warren Buffett famously said, '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 can see that Times China Holdings Limited (HKG:1233) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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. 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 Times China Holdings

What Is Times China Holdings's Debt?

As you can see below, Times China Holdings had CN¥55.7b of debt at June 2021, down from CN¥59.9b a year prior. On the flip side, it has CN¥22.2b in cash leading to net debt of about CN¥33.6b.

A Look At Times China Holdings' Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Times China Holdings had liabilities of CN¥122.0b due within 12 months, and liabilities of CN¥48.6b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥22.2b and CN¥19.1b worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling CN¥129.3b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This deficit casts a shadow over the CN¥10.2b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. After all, Times China Holdings would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). 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).

Times China Holdings has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.7, which signals significant debt, but is still pretty reasonable for most types of business. However, its interest coverage of 16.6 is very high, suggesting that the interest expense on the debt is currently quite low. We saw Times China Holdings grow its EBIT by 3.5% in the last twelve months. Whilst that hardly knocks our socks off it is a positive when it comes to debt. 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 Times China 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 clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. Over the last three years, Times China Holdings reported free cash flow worth 5.5% of its EBIT, which is really quite low. That limp level of cash conversion undermines its ability to manage and pay down debt.

Our View

We'd go so far as to say Times China Holdings's level of total liabilities was disappointing. But at least it's pretty decent at covering its interest expense with its EBIT; that's encouraging. Overall, it seems to us that Times China 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. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example Times China Holdings has 4 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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