Sona BLW Precision Forgings (NSE:SONACOMS) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

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.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We can see that Sona BLW Precision Forgings Limited (NSE:SONACOMS) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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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 usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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.

What Is Sona BLW Precision Forgings's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of September 2025 Sona BLW Precision Forgings had ₹157.8m of debt, an increase on ₹89.1m, over one year. But on the other hand it also has ₹5.77b in cash, leading to a ₹5.61b net cash position.

A Look At Sona BLW Precision Forgings' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Sona BLW Precision Forgings had liabilities of ₹6.37b due within 12 months and liabilities of ₹3.71b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of ₹5.77b as well as receivables valued at ₹9.16b due within 12 months. So it can boast ₹4.84b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

Having regard to Sona BLW Precision Forgings' size, it seems that its liquid assets are well balanced with its total liabilities. So while it's hard to imagine that the ₹315.2b company is struggling for cash, we still think it's worth monitoring its balance sheet. Succinctly put, Sona BLW Precision Forgings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Check out our latest analysis for Sona BLW Precision Forgings

But the other side of the story is that Sona BLW Precision Forgings saw its EBIT decline by 7.7% over the last year. That sort of decline, if sustained, will obviously make debt harder to handle. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Sona BLW Precision Forgings's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. Sona BLW Precision Forgings 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. In the last three years, Sona BLW Precision Forgings's free cash flow amounted to 44% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Sona BLW Precision Forgings has ₹5.61b in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. So we don't have any problem with Sona BLW Precision Forgings's use of debt. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Sona BLW Precision Forgings .

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.

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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.