Yahoo Finance Does Coral Products (LON:CRU) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?
David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the 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. We note that Coral Products plc (LON:CRU) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?
Why Does Debt Bring Risk?
Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. 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.
View our latest analysis for Coral Products
What Is Coral Products's Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Coral Products had UK£1.83m of debt in October 2021, down from UK£3.53m, one year before. However, its balance sheet shows it holds UK£4.78m in cash, so it actually has UK£2.95m net cash.
A Look At Coral Products' Liabilities
The latest balance sheet data shows that Coral Products had liabilities of UK£4.14m due within a year, and liabilities of UK£1.16m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of UK£4.78m as well as receivables valued at UK£3.37m due within 12 months. So it can boast UK£2.85m more liquid assets than total liabilities.
This surplus suggests that Coral Products is using debt in a way that is appears to be both safe and conservative. Due to its strong net asset position, it is not likely to face issues with its lenders. Succinctly put, Coral Products boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
Even more impressive was the fact that Coral Products grew its EBIT by 397% over twelve months. That boost will make it even easier to pay down debt going forward. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Coral Products 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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Coral Products 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 last three years, Coral Products actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.
Summing up
While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Coral Products has net cash of UK£2.95m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. The cherry on top was that in converted 387% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in UK£1.4m. So is Coral Products's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Coral Products .
When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.
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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.
