Is SITC International Holdings (HKG:1308) Using Too Much Debt?

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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. Importantly, SITC International Holdings Company Limited (HKG:1308) does carry 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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

View our latest analysis for SITC International Holdings

How Much Debt Does SITC International Holdings Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of December 2020, SITC International Holdings had US$428.9m of debt, up from US$282.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. But on the other hand it also has US$535.6m in cash, leading to a US$106.7m net cash position.

How Strong Is SITC International Holdings' Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that SITC International Holdings had liabilities of US$377.4m due within a year, and liabilities of US$468.0m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$535.6m and US$103.9m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$206.0m.

Of course, SITC International Holdings has a market capitalization of US$8.86b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, SITC International Holdings also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

In addition to that, we're happy to report that SITC International Holdings has boosted its EBIT by 60%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine SITC International Holdings's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. 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 company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While SITC International Holdings has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. During the last three years, SITC International Holdings produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 79% 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.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that SITC International Holdings has US$106.7m in net cash. And we liked the look of last year's 60% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think SITC International Holdings's use of debt is risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for SITC International Holdings you should know about.

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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