Is AYS Ventures Berhad (KLSE:AYS) Using Too Much Debt?

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. As with many other companies AYS Ventures Berhad (KLSE:AYS) makes use of debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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. 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 think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for AYS Ventures Berhad

What Is AYS Ventures Berhad's Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at December 2021 AYS Ventures Berhad had debt of RM344.4m, up from RM324.6m in one year. However, it does have RM42.2m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about RM302.2m.

How Strong Is AYS Ventures Berhad's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that AYS Ventures Berhad had liabilities of RM550.8m due within a year, and liabilities of RM35.2m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of RM42.2m and RM255.8m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total RM288.0m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of RM217.6m, we think shareholders really should watch AYS Ventures Berhad's debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. In the scenario where the company had to clean up its balance sheet quickly, it seems likely shareholders would suffer extensive dilution.

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). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

We'd say that AYS Ventures Berhad's moderate net debt to EBITDA ratio ( being 2.0), indicates prudence when it comes to debt. And its commanding EBIT of 16.3 times its interest expense, implies the debt load is as light as a peacock feather. Notably, AYS Ventures Berhad's EBIT launched higher than Elon Musk, gaining a whopping 677% on last year. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since AYS Ventures Berhad 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, 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. During the last three years, AYS Ventures Berhad burned a lot of cash. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.

Our View

On the face of it, AYS Ventures Berhad's level of total liabilities left us tentative about the stock, and its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. But at least it's pretty decent at covering its interest expense with its EBIT; that's encouraging. Once we consider all the factors above, together, it seems to us that AYS Ventures Berhad's debt is making it a bit risky. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we'd generally feel more comfortable with less leverage. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 6 warning signs for AYS Ventures Berhad (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.

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.