Yahoo Finance We're Not Very Worried About Catalyst Media Group's (LON:CMX) Cash Burn Rate
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. By way of example, Catalyst Media Group (LON:CMX) has seen its share price rise 108% over the last year, delighting many shareholders. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.
So notwithstanding the buoyant share price, we think it's well worth asking whether Catalyst Media Group's cash burn is too risky. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.
Check out our latest analysis for Catalyst Media Group
How Long Is Catalyst Media Group's Cash Runway?
A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at December 2021, Catalyst Media Group had cash of UK£166k and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through UK£94k. That means it had a cash runway of around 21 months as of December 2021. 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. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.
How Is Catalyst Media Group's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?
Although Catalyst Media Group had revenue of UK£25k in the last twelve months, its operating revenue was only UK£25k in that time period. We don't think that's enough operating revenue for us to understand too much from revenue growth rates, since the company is growing off a low base. So we'll focus on the cash burn, today. With the cash burn rate up 42% in the last year, it seems that the company is ratcheting up investment in the business over time. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Catalyst Media Group due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.
How Easily Can Catalyst Media Group Raise Cash?
While Catalyst Media Group does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future 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.
Catalyst Media Group has a market capitalisation of UK£16m and burnt through UK£94k last year, which is 0.6% of the company's market value. So it could almost certainly just borrow a little to fund another year's growth, or else easily raise the cash by issuing a few shares.
So, Should We Worry About Catalyst Media Group's Cash Burn?
Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Catalyst Media Group's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 4 warning signs for Catalyst Media Group (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)
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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.
