The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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 Jardine Cycle & Carriage Limited (SGX:C07) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

What Is Jardine Cycle & Carriage's Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of December 2023, Jardine Cycle & Carriage had US$7.31b of debt, up from US$5.95b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had US$2.48b in cash, and so its net debt is US$4.83b.

A Look At Jardine Cycle & Carriage's Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Jardine Cycle & Carriage had liabilities of US$9.20b due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$5.38b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of US$2.48b and US$3.07b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$9.03b.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of US$8.06b, we think shareholders really should watch Jardine Cycle & Carriage's debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. In the scenario where the company had to clean up its balance sheet quickly, it seems likely shareholders would suffer extensive dilution.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). 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).

Jardine Cycle & Carriage has a low net debt to EBITDA ratio of only 1.2. And its EBIT covers its interest expense a whopping 28.9 times over. So you could argue it is no more threatened by its debt than an elephant is by a mouse. Also good is that Jardine Cycle & Carriage grew its EBIT at 15% over the last year, further increasing its ability to manage debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Jardine Cycle & Carriage's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Over the most recent three years, Jardine Cycle & Carriage recorded free cash flow worth 72% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Our View

Jardine Cycle & Carriage's interest cover was a real positive on this analysis, as was its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow. In contrast, our confidence was undermined by its apparent struggle to handle its total liabilities. When we consider all the elements mentioned above, it seems to us that Jardine Cycle & Carriage is managing its debt quite well. Having said that, the load is sufficiently heavy that we would recommend any shareholders keep a close eye on it. 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 Jardine Cycle & Carriage has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.