VSTECS Holdings (HKG:856) Has A Somewhat Strained Balance Sheet

The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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 note that VSTECS Holdings Limited (HKG:856) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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.

Check out the opportunities and risks within the HK Electronic industry.

What Is VSTECS Holdings's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2022 VSTECS Holdings had HK$8.38b of debt, an increase on HK$4.85b, over one year. However, it also had HK$4.38b in cash, and so its net debt is HK$4.00b.

How Healthy Is VSTECS Holdings' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that VSTECS Holdings had liabilities of HK$24.0b due within 12 months and liabilities of HK$1.66b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had HK$4.38b in cash and HK$17.1b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling HK$4.18b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This is a mountain of leverage relative to its market capitalization of HK$5.36b. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.

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.

With net debt to EBITDA of 2.5 VSTECS Holdings has a fairly noticeable amount of debt. But the high interest coverage of 9.7 suggests it can easily service that debt. Unfortunately, VSTECS Holdings saw its EBIT slide 2.7% in the last twelve months. If that earnings trend continues then its debt load will grow heavy like the heart of a polar bear watching its sole cub. 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 VSTECS 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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. During the last three years, VSTECS Holdings produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 64% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Our View

Even if we have reservations about how easily VSTECS Holdings is capable of staying on top of its total liabilities, its interest cover and conversion of EBIT to free cash flow make us think feel relatively unconcerned. Looking at all the angles mentioned above, it does seem to us that VSTECS Holdings is a somewhat risky investment as a result of its debt. Not all risk is bad, as it can boost share price returns if it pays off, but this debt risk is worth keeping in mind. 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 VSTECS Holdings is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those don'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.