Is Warisan TC Holdings Berhad (KLSE:WARISAN) Using Too Much Debt?

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.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We note that Warisan TC Holdings Berhad (KLSE:WARISAN) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. 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 thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Warisan TC Holdings Berhad

What Is Warisan TC Holdings Berhad's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Warisan TC Holdings Berhad had RM209.6m of debt in March 2021, down from RM225.4m, one year before. However, it also had RM127.9m in cash, and so its net debt is RM81.7m.

How Strong Is Warisan TC Holdings Berhad's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Warisan TC Holdings Berhad had liabilities of RM359.2m due within a year, and liabilities of RM35.9m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had RM127.9m in cash and RM115.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by RM151.6m.

The deficiency here weighs heavily on the RM80.1m company itself, as if a child were struggling under the weight of an enormous back-pack full of books, his sports gear, and a trumpet. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. At the end of the day, Warisan TC Holdings Berhad would probably need a major re-capitalization if its creditors were to demand repayment. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Warisan TC Holdings Berhad will need earnings to service that debt. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Over 12 months, Warisan TC Holdings Berhad made a loss at the EBIT level, and saw its revenue drop to RM318m, which is a fall of 21%. That makes us nervous, to say the least.

Caveat Emptor

While Warisan TC Holdings Berhad's falling revenue is about as heartwarming as a wet blanket, arguably its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss is even less appealing. Indeed, it lost a very considerable RM39m at the EBIT level. When we look at that alongside the significant liabilities, we're not particularly confident about the company. It would need to improve its operations quickly for us to be interested in it. It's fair to say the loss of RM61m didn't encourage us either; we'd like to see a profit. In the meantime, we consider the stock to be risky. 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 2 warning signs for Warisan TC Holdings Berhad (1 shouldn't be ignored!) 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. 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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