These 4 Measures Indicate That Innox (KOSDAQ:088390) Is Using Debt Extensively

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 note that Innox Corporation (KOSDAQ:088390) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Innox

How Much Debt Does Innox Carry?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Innox had ₩51.7b in debt in December 2023; about the same as the year before. But on the other hand it also has ₩78.1b in cash, leading to a ₩26.3b net cash position.

A Look At Innox's Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Innox had liabilities of ₩54.8b falling due within a year, and liabilities of ₩47.6b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of ₩78.1b as well as receivables valued at ₩7.57b due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by ₩16.8b.

Since publicly traded Innox shares are worth a total of ₩179.3b, 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. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Innox also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

Shareholders should be aware that Innox's EBIT was down 77% last year. If that earnings trend continues then paying off its debt will be about as easy as herding cats on to a roller coaster. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Innox will need earnings to service that debt. 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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. While Innox has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the last three years, Innox 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.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Innox has ₩26.3b in net cash. Despite the cash, we do find Innox's EBIT growth rate concerning, so we're not particularly comfortable with the stock. While Innox didn't make a statutory profit in the last year, its positive EBIT suggests that profitability might not be far away. Click here to see if its earnings are heading in the right direction, over the medium term.

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.