Does IOI Properties Group Berhad (KLSE:IOIPG) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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 IOI Properties Group Berhad (KLSE:IOIPG) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

See our latest analysis for IOI Properties Group Berhad

What Is IOI Properties Group Berhad's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at June 2022 IOI Properties Group Berhad had debt of RM16.8b, up from RM11.1b in one year. However, it does have RM2.39b in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about RM14.4b.

How Healthy Is IOI Properties Group Berhad's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, IOI Properties Group Berhad had liabilities of RM14.8b due within 12 months, and liabilities of RM4.06b due beyond 12 months. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of RM2.39b as well as receivables valued at RM891.0m due within 12 months. So its liabilities total RM15.6b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit casts a shadow over the RM5.15b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. After all, IOI Properties Group Berhad would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

Strangely IOI Properties Group Berhad has a sky high EBITDA ratio of 15.1, implying high debt, but a strong interest coverage of 1k. So either it has access to very cheap long term debt or that interest expense is going to grow! Also relevant is that IOI Properties Group Berhad has grown its EBIT by a very respectable 28% in the last year, thus enhancing its ability to pay down debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine IOI Properties Group Berhad's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. In the last three years, IOI Properties Group Berhad's free cash flow amounted to 36% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Our View

On the face of it, IOI Properties Group Berhad's net debt to EBITDA left us tentative about the stock, and its level of total liabilities was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. But on the bright side, its interest cover is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. Looking at the balance sheet and taking into account all these factors, we do believe that debt is making IOI Properties Group Berhad stock a bit risky. Some people like that sort of risk, but we're mindful of the potential pitfalls, so we'd probably prefer it carry less debt. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. We've identified 2 warning signs with IOI Properties Group Berhad (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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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.