Does Vipshop Holdings (NYSE:VIPS) 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 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, Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE:VIPS) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Vipshop Holdings

How Much Debt Does Vipshop Holdings Carry?

As you can see below, Vipshop Holdings had CN¥1.96b of debt at June 2021, down from CN¥2.05b a year prior. But it also has CN¥19.3b in cash to offset that, meaning it has CN¥17.4b net cash.

A Look At Vipshop Holdings' Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Vipshop Holdings had liabilities of CN¥23.6b due within 12 months, and liabilities of CN¥2.84b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥19.3b and CN¥2.91b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN¥4.26b.

Since publicly traded Vipshop Holdings shares are worth a total of CN¥61.3b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Vipshop Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

And we also note warmly that Vipshop Holdings grew its EBIT by 16% last year, making its debt load easier to handle. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Vipshop Holdings can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Vipshop Holdings 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. Over the last three years, Vipshop Holdings actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. There's nothing better than incoming cash when it comes to staying in your lenders' good graces.

Summing up

We could understand if investors are concerned about Vipshop Holdings's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of CN¥17.4b. The cherry on top was that in converted 150% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in CN¥9.5b. So we don't think Vipshop Holdings's use of debt is 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 Vipshop Holdings is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

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. 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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