Mycron Steel Berhad (KLSE:MYCRON) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

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 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. Importantly, Mycron Steel Berhad (KLSE:MYCRON) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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 thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Mycron Steel Berhad

How Much Debt Does Mycron Steel Berhad Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Mycron Steel Berhad had RM88.0m of debt in December 2020, down from RM118.5m, one year before. However, it also had RM82.9m in cash, and so its net debt is RM5.08m.

How Healthy Is Mycron Steel Berhad's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Mycron Steel Berhad had liabilities of RM209.7m due within a year, and liabilities of RM62.0m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of RM82.9m as well as receivables valued at RM101.4m due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling RM87.4m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Mycron Steel Berhad has a market capitalization of RM291.1m, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt.

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). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

While Mycron Steel Berhad's low debt to EBITDA ratio of 0.13 suggests only modest use of debt, the fact that EBIT only covered the interest expense by 5.2 times last year does give us pause. So we'd recommend keeping a close eye on the impact financing costs are having on the business. Notably, Mycron Steel Berhad made a loss at the EBIT level, last year, but improved that to positive EBIT of RM24m in the last twelve months. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Mycron Steel Berhad's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So it is important to check how much of its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) converts to actual free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, Mycron Steel Berhad actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last year. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.

Our View

The good news is that Mycron Steel Berhad's demonstrated ability to convert EBIT to free cash flow delights us like a fluffy puppy does a toddler. And that's just the beginning of the good news since its net debt to EBITDA is also very heartening. Looking at all the aforementioned factors together, it strikes us that Mycron Steel Berhad can handle its debt fairly comfortably. On the plus side, this leverage can boost shareholder returns, but the potential downside is more risk of loss, so it's worth monitoring the balance sheet. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Mycron Steel Berhad (including 1 which can't be ignored) .

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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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