Yahoo Finance Is Sylogist (TSE:SYZ) Using Too Much Debt?
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. We note that Sylogist Ltd. (TSE:SYZ) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?
What Risk Does Debt Bring?
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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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 Sylogist
What Is Sylogist's Debt?
The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at September 2021 Sylogist had debt of CA$18.2m, up from none in one year. However, its balance sheet shows it holds CA$29.6m in cash, so it actually has CA$11.4m net cash.
A Look At Sylogist's Liabilities
According to the last reported balance sheet, Sylogist had liabilities of CA$39.8m due within 12 months, and liabilities of CA$11.6m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had CA$29.6m in cash and CA$1.99m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CA$19.8m.
Given Sylogist has a market capitalization of CA$308.1m, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Sylogist also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.
The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Sylogist if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 48% cut to EBIT over the last year. Falling earnings (if the trend continues) could eventually make even modest debt quite risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Sylogist 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. While Sylogist 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, Sylogist 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 it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Sylogist has CA$11.4m in net cash. And it impressed us with free cash flow of CA$18m, being 103% of its EBIT. So we are not troubled with Sylogist's debt use. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Sylogist that you should be aware of before investing here.
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.
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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.
