JSW Energy (NSE:JSWENERGY) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

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 JSW Energy Limited (NSE:JSWENERGY) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for JSW Energy

What Is JSW Energy's Net Debt?

As you can see below, JSW Energy had ₹83.7b of debt at March 2021, down from ₹98.7b a year prior. On the flip side, it has ₹11.5b in cash leading to net debt of about ₹72.2b.

How Strong Is JSW Energy's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that JSW Energy had liabilities of ₹35.7b due within a year, and liabilities of ₹83.7b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of ₹11.5b as well as receivables valued at ₹26.5b due within 12 months. So its liabilities total ₹81.4b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given JSW Energy has a market capitalization of ₹576.6b, 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.

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). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

While we wouldn't worry about JSW Energy's net debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.5, we think its super-low interest cover of 2.2 times is a sign of high leverage. So shareholders should probably be aware that interest expenses appear to have really impacted the business lately. Notably JSW Energy's EBIT was pretty flat over the last year. We would prefer to see some earnings growth, because that always helps diminish debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine JSW Energy's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, JSW Energy actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.

Our View

When it comes to the balance sheet, the standout positive for JSW Energy was the fact that it seems able to convert EBIT to free cash flow confidently. But the other factors we noted above weren't so encouraging. In particular, interest cover gives us cold feet. Considering this range of data points, we think JSW Energy is in a good position to manage its debt levels. But a word of caution: we think debt levels are high enough to justify ongoing monitoring. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example JSW Energy has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

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.
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