Jadran d.d (ZGSE:JDRN) Has Debt But No Earnings; Should You Worry?

Warren Buffett famously said, '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 Jadran d.d. (ZGSE:JDRN) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. 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. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Jadran d.d

What Is Jadran d.d's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2020, Jadran d.d had Kn229.4m of debt, up from Kn127.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had Kn41.6m in cash, and so its net debt is Kn187.8m.

How Strong Is Jadran d.d's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Jadran d.d had liabilities of Kn50.8m due within a year, and liabilities of Kn422.1m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of Kn41.6m and Kn12.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling Kn419.3m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of Kn394.4m, we think shareholders really should watch Jadran d.d's debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. 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. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Jadran d.d 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.

Over 12 months, Jadran d.d made a loss at the EBIT level, and saw its revenue drop to Kn82m, which is a fall of 31%. To be frank that doesn't bode well.

Caveat Emptor

While Jadran d.d's falling revenue is about as heartwarming as a wet blanket, arguably its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss is even less appealing. Indeed, it lost a very considerable Kn51m at the EBIT level. Considering that alongside the liabilities mentioned above make us nervous about the company. It would need to improve its operations quickly for us to be interested in it. Not least because it burned through Kn151m in negative free cash flow over the last year. So suffice it to say we consider the stock to be risky. 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. Be aware that Jadran d.d is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those shouldn't be ignored...

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. 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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