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.' 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 can see that STL Global Limited (NSE:SGL) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?
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 usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.
View our latest analysis for STL Global
What Is STL Global's Net Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that STL Global had ₹185.9m of debt in March 2023, down from ₹327.8m, one year before. Net debt is about the same, since the it doesn't have much cash.
How Strong Is STL Global's Balance Sheet?
According to the last reported balance sheet, STL Global had liabilities of ₹229.3m due within 12 months, and liabilities of ₹141.2m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had ₹997.0k in cash and ₹290.2m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by ₹79.3m.
Of course, STL Global has a market capitalization of ₹418.4m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is STL Global's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. 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.
Over 12 months, STL Global made a loss at the EBIT level, and saw its revenue drop to ₹880m, which is a fall of 29%. To be frank that doesn't bode well.
Caveat Emptor
While STL Global's falling revenue is about as heartwarming as a wet blanket, arguably its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss is even less appealing. Indeed, it lost ₹14m at the EBIT level. When we look at that and recall the liabilities on its balance sheet, relative to cash, it seems unwise to us for the company to have any debt. Quite frankly we think the balance sheet is far from match-fit, although it could be improved with time. We would feel better if it turned its trailing twelve month loss of ₹18m into a profit. So in short it's a really risky stock. 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. Be aware that STL Global is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those don't sit too well with us...
At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.
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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.
About NSEI:SGL
Slight with mediocre balance sheet.
