These 4 Measures Indicate That Sterling Tools (NSE:STERTOOLS) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well

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 Sterling Tools Limited (NSE:STERTOOLS) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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 frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Sterling Tools

What Is Sterling Tools's Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at March 2022 Sterling Tools had debt of ₹1.09b, up from ₹1.05b in one year. On the flip side, it has ₹307.1m in cash leading to net debt of about ₹787.1m.

How Strong Is Sterling Tools' Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Sterling Tools had liabilities of ₹1.17b due within a year, and liabilities of ₹775.0m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of ₹307.1m as well as receivables valued at ₹475.8m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by ₹1.16b.

Since publicly traded Sterling Tools shares are worth a total of ₹7.45b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse.

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

Looking at its net debt to EBITDA of 1.2 and interest cover of 5.7 times, it seems to us that Sterling Tools is probably using debt in a pretty reasonable way. But the interest payments are certainly sufficient to have us thinking about how affordable its debt is. One way Sterling Tools could vanquish its debt would be if it stops borrowing more but continues to grow EBIT at around 15%, as it did over the last year. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Sterling Tools will need earnings to service that debt. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. Considering the last three years, Sterling Tools actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is usually more expensive, and almost always more risky in the hands of a company with negative free cash flow. Shareholders ought to hope for an improvement.

Our View

Based on what we've seen Sterling Tools is not finding it easy, given its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow, but the other factors we considered give us cause to be optimistic. In particular, we thought its EBIT growth rate was a positive. Looking at all this data makes us feel a little cautious about Sterling Tools's debt levels. While debt does have its upside in higher potential returns, we think shareholders should definitely consider how debt levels might make the stock more risky. 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. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Sterling Tools (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

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.