Is Mercury (KOSDAQ:100590) A Risky Investment?

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 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. Importantly, Mercury Corporation (KOSDAQ:100590) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

See our latest analysis for Mercury

How Much Debt Does Mercury Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Mercury had debt of ₩24.9b at the end of March 2024, a reduction from ₩28.3b over a year. However, it does have ₩36.7b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of ₩11.8b.

How Strong Is Mercury's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Mercury had liabilities of ₩39.8b due within a year, and liabilities of ₩4.77b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had ₩36.7b in cash and ₩14.2b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it actually has ₩6.33b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus suggests that Mercury has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty. Simply put, the fact that Mercury has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely.

It is just as well that Mercury's load is not too heavy, because its EBIT was down 24% over the last year. Falling earnings (if the trend continues) could eventually make even modest debt quite risky. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Mercury'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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Mercury may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the most recent two years, Mercury recorded free cash flow worth 76% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Mercury has ₩11.8b in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. The cherry on top was that in converted 76% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in ₩8.2b. So we are not troubled with Mercury's debt use. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Mercury you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com