These 4 Measures Indicate That HASEKO (TSE:1808) Is Using Debt Extensively

Warren Buffett famously said, '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 HASEKO Corporation (TSE:1808) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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When Is Debt A Problem?

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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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, 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 step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

What Is HASEKO's Net Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that HASEKO had JP¥420.0b in debt in March 2025; about the same as the year before. However, because it has a cash reserve of JP¥239.3b, its net debt is less, at about JP¥180.7b.

How Strong Is HASEKO's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that HASEKO had liabilities of JP¥442.8b due within a year, and liabilities of JP¥390.3b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of JP¥239.3b as well as receivables valued at JP¥148.5b due within 12 months. So its liabilities total JP¥445.4b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit is considerable relative to its market capitalization of JP¥600.0b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on HASEKO's use of debt. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.

View our latest analysis for HASEKO

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

HASEKO's net debt to EBITDA ratio of about 1.9 suggests only moderate use of debt. And its strong interest cover of 213 times, makes us even more comfortable. Importantly HASEKO's EBIT was essentially flat over the last twelve months. We would prefer to see some earnings growth, because that always helps diminish debt. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if HASEKO can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the last three years, HASEKO recorded negative free cash flow, in total. Debt is far more risky for companies with unreliable free cash flow, so shareholders should be hoping that the past expenditure will produce free cash flow in the future.

Our View

Neither HASEKO's ability to convert EBIT to free cash flow nor its level of total liabilities gave us confidence in its ability to take on more debt. But the good news is it seems to be able to cover its interest expense with its EBIT with ease. Taking the abovementioned factors together we do think HASEKO's debt poses some risks to the business. While that debt can boost returns, we think the company has enough leverage now. 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. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for HASEKO that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.