Y.Z. Queenco (TLV:QNCO) Is Carrying A Fair Bit Of 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.' 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 can see that Y.Z. Queenco Ltd. (TLV:QNCO) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

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 common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

Check out our latest analysis for Y.Z. Queenco

How Much Debt Does Y.Z. Queenco Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Y.Z. Queenco had ₪24.3m of debt in June 2021, down from ₪26.2m, one year before. However, because it has a cash reserve of ₪13.1m, its net debt is less, at about ₪11.1m.

How Strong Is Y.Z. Queenco's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Y.Z. Queenco had liabilities of ₪50.5m due within a year, and liabilities of ₪50.2m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had ₪13.1m in cash and ₪5.66m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling ₪81.9m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Y.Z. Queenco has a market capitalization of ₪230.0m, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But we definitely want to keep our eyes open to indications that its debt is bringing too much risk. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Y.Z. Queenco 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, Y.Z. Queenco made a loss at the EBIT level, and saw its revenue drop to ₪53m, which is a fall of 36%. That makes us nervous, to say the least.

Caveat Emptor

While Y.Z. Queenco'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 ₪6.5m at the EBIT level. When we look at that and recall the liabilities on its balance sheet, relative to cash, it seems unwise to us for the company to have any debt. Quite frankly we think the balance sheet is far from match-fit, although it could be improved with time. Surprisingly, we note that it actually reported positive free cash flow of ₪3.1m and a profit of ₪13m. So if we focus on those metrics there seems to be a chance the company will manage its debt without much trouble. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Y.Z. Queenco that you should be aware of.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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