Eidesvik Offshore (OB:EIOF) Takes On Some Risk With Its Use Of Debt

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Eidesvik Offshore ASA (OB:EIOF) 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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Eidesvik Offshore

How Much Debt Does Eidesvik Offshore Carry?

As you can see below, Eidesvik Offshore had kr747.4m of debt, at June 2024, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, it also had kr444.3m in cash, and so its net debt is kr303.1m.

A Look At Eidesvik Offshore's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Eidesvik Offshore had liabilities of kr413.4m due within a year, and liabilities of kr693.5m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of kr444.3m and kr279.7m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by kr382.9m.

This deficit isn't so bad because Eidesvik Offshore is worth kr1.17b, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution.

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

Eidesvik Offshore has a very low debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.0 so it is strange to see weak interest coverage, with last year's EBIT being only 2.2 times the interest expense. So while we're not necessarily alarmed we think that its debt is far from trivial. It is well worth noting that Eidesvik Offshore's EBIT shot up like bamboo after rain, gaining 48% in the last twelve months. That'll make it easier to manage its debt. 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 Eidesvik Offshore 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.

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. Considering the last three years, Eidesvik Offshore actually recorded a cash outflow, overall. Debt is usually more expensive, and almost always more risky in the hands of a company with negative free cash flow. Shareholders ought to hope for an improvement.

Our View

Neither Eidesvik Offshore's ability to convert EBIT to free cash flow nor its interest cover gave us confidence in its ability to take on more debt. But its EBIT growth rate tells a very different story, and suggests some resilience. We think that Eidesvik Offshore's debt does make it a bit risky, after considering the aforementioned data points together. Not all risk is bad, as it can boost share price returns if it pays off, but this debt risk is worth keeping in mind. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Eidesvik Offshore .

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. 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.