Does MaxFastigheter i Sverige (STO:MAXF) 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. Importantly, MaxFastigheter i Sverige AB (publ) (STO:MAXF) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for MaxFastigheter i Sverige

How Much Debt Does MaxFastigheter i Sverige Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of September 2020 MaxFastigheter i Sverige had kr1.57b of debt, an increase on kr1.36b, over one year. However, it does have kr69.8m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about kr1.51b.

How Strong Is MaxFastigheter i Sverige's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that MaxFastigheter i Sverige had liabilities of kr543.5m due within a year, and liabilities of kr1.23b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of kr69.8m as well as receivables valued at kr59.1m due within 12 months. So its liabilities total kr1.64b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

The deficiency here weighs heavily on the kr653.7m company itself, as if a child were struggling under the weight of an enormous back-pack full of books, his sports gear, and a trumpet. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. At the end of the day, MaxFastigheter i Sverige would probably need a major re-capitalization if its creditors were to demand repayment.

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). 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).

MaxFastigheter i Sverige shareholders face the double whammy of a high net debt to EBITDA ratio (12.6), and fairly weak interest coverage, since EBIT is just 2.5 times the interest expense. This means we'd consider it to have a heavy debt load. Looking on the bright side, MaxFastigheter i Sverige boosted its EBIT by a silky 42% in the last year. Like a mother's loving embrace of a newborn that sort of growth builds resilience, putting the company in a stronger position to manage its debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if MaxFastigheter i Sverige can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. During the last three years, MaxFastigheter i Sverige produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 62% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This cold hard cash means it can reduce its debt when it wants to.

Our View

To be frank both MaxFastigheter i Sverige's net debt to EBITDA and its track record of staying on top of its total liabilities make us rather uncomfortable with its debt levels. But on the bright side, its EBIT growth rate is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. Once we consider all the factors above, together, it seems to us that MaxFastigheter i Sverige's debt is making it 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. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for MaxFastigheter i Sverige (2 don't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

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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