Does China Jinmao Holdings Group (HKG:817) Have A 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 can see that China Jinmao Holdings Group Limited (HKG:817) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for China Jinmao Holdings Group

What Is China Jinmao Holdings Group's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of December 2021, China Jinmao Holdings Group had CN¥119.9b of debt, up from CN¥113.2b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. On the flip side, it has CN¥31.1b in cash leading to net debt of about CN¥88.8b.

How Strong Is China Jinmao Holdings Group's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that China Jinmao Holdings Group had liabilities of CN¥201.2b due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥104.0b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had CN¥31.1b in cash and CN¥45.0b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling CN¥229.1b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This deficit casts a shadow over the CN¥29.7b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. After all, China Jinmao Holdings Group would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

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). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

As it happens China Jinmao Holdings Group has a fairly concerning net debt to EBITDA ratio of 8.9 but very strong interest coverage of 1k. So either it has access to very cheap long term debt or that interest expense is going to grow! Importantly, China Jinmao Holdings Group grew its EBIT by 69% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine China Jinmao Holdings Group's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, China Jinmao Holdings Group 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.

Our View

We feel some trepidation about China Jinmao Holdings Group's difficulty level of total liabilities, but we've got positives to focus on, too. To wit both its interest cover and conversion of EBIT to free cash flow were encouraging signs. We think that China Jinmao Holdings Group's debt does make it a bit risky, after considering the aforementioned data points together. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since leverage can boost returns on equity, but it is something to be aware of. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Be aware that China Jinmao Holdings Group is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is concerning...

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.

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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.