Is Gav-Yam Lands (TLV:GVYM) A Risky Investment?

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. Importantly, Gav-Yam Lands Corp. Ltd (TLV:GVYM) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. 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. 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. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Gav-Yam Lands

How Much Debt Does Gav-Yam Lands Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2023 Gav-Yam Lands had ₪7.89b of debt, an increase on ₪7.49b, over one year. However, it does have ₪768.9m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about ₪7.12b.

How Strong Is Gav-Yam Lands' Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Gav-Yam Lands had liabilities of ₪2.07b due within a year, and liabilities of ₪7.84b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of ₪768.9m and ₪64.3m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling ₪9.08b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

The deficiency here weighs heavily on the ₪5.81b company itself, as if a child were struggling under the weight of an enormous back-pack full of books, his sports gear, and a trumpet. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. After all, Gav-Yam Lands would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

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). 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).

As it happens Gav-Yam Lands has a fairly concerning net debt to EBITDA ratio of 11.4 but very strong interest coverage of 11.8. So either it has access to very cheap long term debt or that interest expense is going to grow! Also relevant is that Gav-Yam Lands has grown its EBIT by a very respectable 21% in the last year, thus enhancing its ability to pay down debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Gav-Yam Lands 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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the last three years, Gav-Yam Lands recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 99% of its EBIT, which is stronger than we'd usually expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.

Our View

While Gav-Yam Lands's net debt to EBITDA has us nervous. For example, its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow and interest cover give us some confidence in its ability to manage its debt. We think that Gav-Yam Lands'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. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Gav-Yam Lands (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

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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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.