These 4 Measures Indicate That Shenzhen Expressway (HKG:548) Is Using Debt Extensively

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.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We note that Shenzhen Expressway Company Limited (HKG:548) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Expressway

What Is Shenzhen Expressway's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2021, Shenzhen Expressway had CN¥22.6b of debt, up from CN¥19.6b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. On the flip side, it has CN¥4.45b in cash leading to net debt of about CN¥18.2b.

How Strong Is Shenzhen Expressway's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Shenzhen Expressway had liabilities of CN¥13.3b due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥17.5b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥4.45b and CN¥3.09b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total CN¥23.3b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

When you consider that this deficiency exceeds the company's CN¥21.1b market capitalization, you might well be inclined to review the balance sheet intently. Hypothetically, extremely heavy dilution would be required if the company were forced to pay down its liabilities by raising capital at the current share price.

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). 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).

Shenzhen Expressway has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.2, which signals significant debt, but is still pretty reasonable for most types of business. However, its interest coverage of 1k is very high, suggesting that the interest expense on the debt is currently quite low. Notably, Shenzhen Expressway's EBIT launched higher than Elon Musk, gaining a whopping 176% on last year. 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 Shenzhen Expressway can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. Considering the last three years, Shenzhen Expressway actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is usually more expensive, and almost always more risky in the hands of a company with negative free cash flow. Shareholders ought to hope for an improvement.

Our View

We feel some trepidation about Shenzhen Expressway's difficulty conversion of EBIT to free cash flow, but we've got positives to focus on, too. For example, its interest cover and EBIT growth rate give us some confidence in its ability to manage its debt. It's also worth noting that Shenzhen Expressway is in the Infrastructure industry, which is often considered to be quite defensive. We think that Shenzhen Expressway'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. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Shenzhen Expressway (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .

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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