Here's Why KLON Spólka Akcyjna (WSE:KLN) Can Manage Its Debt Responsibly

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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, KLON Spólka Akcyjna (WSE:KLN) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

View our latest analysis for KLON Spólka Akcyjna

How Much Debt Does KLON Spólka Akcyjna Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that KLON Spólka Akcyjna had zł9.29m of debt in September 2021, down from zł11.5m, one year before. On the flip side, it has zł378.6k in cash leading to net debt of about zł8.91m.

How Healthy Is KLON Spólka Akcyjna's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, KLON Spólka Akcyjna had liabilities of zł4.94m due within 12 months, and liabilities of zł10.9m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of zł378.6k and zł3.49m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total zł11.9m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since KLON Spólka Akcyjna has a market capitalization of zł33.8m, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But we definitely want to keep our eyes open to indications that its debt is bringing too much risk.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). 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).

KLON Spólka Akcyjna has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.7 and its EBIT covered its interest expense 3.7 times. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. The good news is that KLON Spólka Akcyjna grew its EBIT a smooth 77% over the last twelve months. Like the milk of human kindness that sort of growth increases resilience, making the company more capable of managing debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since KLON Spólka Akcyjna 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, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Looking at the most recent three years, KLON Spólka Akcyjna recorded free cash flow of 25% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That weak cash conversion makes it more difficult to handle indebtedness.

Our View

When it comes to the balance sheet, the standout positive for KLON Spólka Akcyjna was the fact that it seems able to grow its EBIT confidently. But the other factors we noted above weren't so encouraging. For instance it seems like it has to struggle a bit to cover its interest expense with its EBIT. When we consider all the factors mentioned above, we do feel a bit cautious about KLON Spólka Akcyjna's use of debt. While debt does have its upside in higher potential returns, we think shareholders should definitely consider how debt levels might make the stock more risky. 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. Be aware that KLON Spólka Akcyjna is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those are potentially serious...

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.