These 4 Measures Indicate That Hero MotoCorp (NSE:HEROMOTOCO) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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, Hero MotoCorp Limited (NSE:HEROMOTOCO) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

View our latest analysis for Hero MotoCorp

What Is Hero MotoCorp's Debt?

As you can see below, Hero MotoCorp had ₹6.05b of debt, at March 2022, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, its balance sheet shows it holds ₹60.5b in cash, so it actually has ₹54.5b net cash.

A Look At Hero MotoCorp's Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Hero MotoCorp had liabilities of ₹55.2b falling due within a year, and liabilities of ₹9.66b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of ₹60.5b as well as receivables valued at ₹26.8b due within 12 months. So it can boast ₹22.5b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus suggests that Hero MotoCorp has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty. Succinctly put, Hero MotoCorp boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

But the bad news is that Hero MotoCorp has seen its EBIT plunge 16% in the last twelve months. If that rate of decline in earnings continues, the company could find itself in a tight spot. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Hero MotoCorp 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. Hero MotoCorp may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Hero MotoCorp generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 88% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Summing Up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Hero MotoCorp has net cash of ₹54.5b, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. The cherry on top was that in converted 88% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in ₹15b. So we are not troubled with Hero MotoCorp's debt use. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Be aware that Hero MotoCorp is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is significant...

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.