Yahoo Finance B2Gold (TSE:BTO) Has A Rock Solid 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.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. Importantly, B2Gold Corp. (TSE:BTO) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?
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. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.
Check out our latest analysis for B2Gold
What Is B2Gold's Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that B2Gold had US$68.7m of debt in March 2021, down from US$216.2m, one year before. But on the other hand it also has US$512.6m in cash, leading to a US$443.9m net cash position.
How Strong Is B2Gold's Balance Sheet?
According to the last reported balance sheet, B2Gold had liabilities of US$289.6m due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$394.7m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had US$512.6m in cash and US$35.1m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$136.7m.
Since publicly traded B2Gold shares are worth a total of US$5.27b, 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, B2Gold boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
On top of that, B2Gold grew its EBIT by 93% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle 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 B2Gold 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 business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. B2Gold 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. Over the most recent three years, B2Gold recorded free cash flow worth 69% 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.
Summing up
We could understand if investors are concerned about B2Gold's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of US$443.9m. And we liked the look of last year's 93% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think B2Gold's use of debt is risky. 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 instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for B2Gold (1 is significant) you should be aware of.
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. 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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