Is Delfi (SGX:P34) A Risky Investment?

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 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. We can see that Delfi Limited (SGX:P34) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

View our latest analysis for Delfi

What Is Delfi's Net Debt?

As you can see below, Delfi had US$48.7m of debt at December 2020, down from US$58.3m a year prior. But it also has US$68.4m in cash to offset that, meaning it has US$19.7m net cash.

How Strong Is Delfi's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Delfi had liabilities of US$139.7m due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$17.0m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$68.4m as well as receivables valued at US$95.1m due within 12 months. So it actually has US$6.75m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This state of affairs indicates that Delfi's balance sheet looks quite solid, as its total liabilities are just about equal to its liquid assets. So it's very unlikely that the US$442.9m company is short on cash, but still worth keeping an eye on the balance sheet. Succinctly put, Delfi boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

It is just as well that Delfi's load is not too heavy, because its EBIT was down 37% over the last year. Falling earnings (if the trend continues) could eventually make even modest debt quite risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Delfi 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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. While Delfi has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. In the last three years, Delfi's free cash flow amounted to 43% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That weak cash conversion makes it more difficult to handle indebtedness.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Delfi has US$19.7m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. So we are not troubled with Delfi's debt use. 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 example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Delfi that you should be aware of before investing here.

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. 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.
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