Here's Why Drillcon (STO:DRIL) Can Afford Some Debt

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 seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We can see that Drillcon AB (publ) (STO:DRIL) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. 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 Drillcon

How Much Debt Does Drillcon Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2022, Drillcon had kr100.8m of debt, up from kr66.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had kr11.3m in cash, and so its net debt is kr89.5m.

How Healthy Is Drillcon's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Drillcon had liabilities of kr141.5m due within 12 months and liabilities of kr71.9m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had kr11.3m in cash and kr120.0m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by kr82.1m.

This deficit isn't so bad because Drillcon is worth kr218.3m, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off 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 Drillcon 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.

In the last year Drillcon wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 15%, to kr389m. We usually like to see faster growth from unprofitable companies, but each to their own.

Caveat Emptor

Importantly, Drillcon had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last year. Indeed, it lost kr12m at the EBIT level. Considering that alongside the liabilities mentioned above does not give us much confidence that company should be using so much debt. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. Another cause for caution is that is bled kr37m in negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. So in short it's a really risky stock. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Drillcon you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit concerning.

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.