Yahoo Finance Companies Like Imperial Metals (TSE:III) Are In A Position To Invest In Growth
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. Indeed, Imperial Metals (TSE:III) stock is up 191% in the last year, providing strong gains for shareholders. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.
Given its strong share price performance, we think it's worthwhile for Imperial Metals shareholders to consider whether its cash burn is concerning. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.
View our latest analysis for Imperial Metals
When Might Imperial Metals Run Out Of Money?
A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at September 2020, Imperial Metals had cash of CA$61m and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through CA$32m. That means it had a cash runway of around 23 months as of September 2020. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. We should note, however, that if we extrapolate recent trends in its cash burn, then its cash runway would get a lot longer. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.
Is Imperial Metals' Revenue Growing?
Given that Imperial Metals actually had positive free cash flow last year, before burning cash this year, we'll focus on its operating revenue to get a measure of the business trajectory. Pleasingly, the company produced stunning operating revenue growth of 100% over the last year. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.
How Easily Can Imperial Metals Raise Cash?
There's no doubt Imperial Metals' revenue growth is impressive but even if it's only hypothetical, it's always worth asking how easily it could raise more money to fund further growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.
Imperial Metals' cash burn of CA$32m is about 5.7% of its CA$568m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.
How Risky Is Imperial Metals' Cash Burn Situation?
It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Imperial Metals is burning through its cash. For example, we think its revenue growth suggests that the company is on a good path. And even though its cash runway wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 1 warning sign for Imperial Metals that you should be aware of before investing.
If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.
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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