Does Hour Glass (SGX:AGS) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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 The Hour Glass Limited (SGX:AGS) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. 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 Hour Glass

What Is Hour Glass's Net Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of September 2021 Hour Glass had S$120.2m of debt, an increase on S$70.7m, over one year. However, its balance sheet shows it holds S$246.8m in cash, so it actually has S$126.6m net cash.

How Strong Is Hour Glass' Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Hour Glass had liabilities of S$236.2m falling due within a year, and liabilities of S$79.4m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had S$246.8m in cash and S$21.8m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling S$47.0m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Given Hour Glass has a market capitalization of S$1.46b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Hour Glass also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

On top of that, Hour Glass grew its EBIT by 70% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Hour Glass's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Hour Glass may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Happily for any shareholders, Hour Glass actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Summing up

We could understand if investors are concerned about Hour Glass's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of S$126.6m. And it impressed us with free cash flow of S$189m, being 115% of its EBIT. So is Hour Glass's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. 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. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Hour Glass that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

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.

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