Xin Yuan Enterprises Group (HKG:1748) Could Easily Take On More 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. As with many other companies Xin Yuan Enterprises Group Limited (HKG:1748) 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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Xin Yuan Enterprises Group

What Is Xin Yuan Enterprises Group's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group had debt of US$42.3m at the end of June 2024, a reduction from US$53.4m over a year. However, it also had US$34.1m in cash, and so its net debt is US$8.19m.

A Look At Xin Yuan Enterprises Group's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group had liabilities of US$11.9m due within a year, and liabilities of US$34.3m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$34.1m in cash and US$1.56m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$10.5m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given Xin Yuan Enterprises Group has a market capitalization of US$164.7m, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time.

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). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Looking at its net debt to EBITDA of 0.31 and interest cover of 4.2 times, it seems to us that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group is probably using debt in a pretty reasonable way. But the interest payments are certainly sufficient to have us thinking about how affordable its debt is. It is well worth noting that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group's EBIT shot up like bamboo after rain, gaining 33% in the last twelve months. That'll make it easier to manage its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Xin Yuan Enterprises Group will need earnings to service that debt. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. 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, Xin Yuan Enterprises Group actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Our View

The good news is that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group's demonstrated ability to convert EBIT to free cash flow delights us like a fluffy puppy does a toddler. But, on a more sombre note, we are a little concerned by its interest cover. Considering this range of factors, it seems to us that Xin Yuan Enterprises Group is quite prudent with its debt, and the risks seem well managed. So we're not worried about the use of a little leverage on the balance sheet. We'd be very excited to see if Xin Yuan Enterprises Group insiders have been snapping up shares. If you are too, then click on this link right now to take a (free) peek at our list of reported insider transactions.

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.