Here's Why Dixon Technologies (India) (NSE:DIXON) Can Manage Its Debt Responsibly

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 might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We note that Dixon Technologies (India) Limited (NSE:DIXON) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Dixon Technologies (India)

How Much Debt Does Dixon Technologies (India) Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at September 2021 Dixon Technologies (India) had debt of ₹2.82b, up from ₹891.7m in one year. However, it does have ₹2.66b in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about ₹157.4m.

A Look At Dixon Technologies (India)'s Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Dixon Technologies (India) had liabilities of ₹25.5b due within a year, and liabilities of ₹3.22b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of ₹2.66b and ₹12.3b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by ₹13.8b.

Given Dixon Technologies (India) has a market capitalization of ₹302.2b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. Carrying virtually no net debt, Dixon Technologies (India) has a very light debt load indeed.

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). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Dixon Technologies (India) has very modest net debt, giving rise to a debt to EBITDA ratio of 0.048. And EBIT easily covered the interest expense 8.7 times over, lending force to that view. On top of that, Dixon Technologies (India) grew its EBIT by 59% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Dixon Technologies (India) can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. Over the last three years, Dixon Technologies (India) reported free cash flow worth 4.7% of its EBIT, which is really quite low. For us, cash conversion that low sparks a little paranoia about is ability to extinguish debt.

Our View

Happily, Dixon Technologies (India)'s impressive EBIT growth rate implies it has the upper hand on its debt. But we must concede we find its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow has the opposite effect. When we consider the range of factors above, it looks like Dixon Technologies (India) is pretty sensible with its use of debt. While that brings some risk, it can also enhance returns for shareholders. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example - Dixon Technologies (India) has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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