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These 4 Measures Indicate That Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Nick Scali Limited (ASX:NCK) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Nick Scali

What Is Nick Scali's Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Nick Scali had AU$33.7m in debt in December 2019; about the same as the year before. But it also has AU$43.7m in cash to offset that, meaning it has AU$10.00m net cash.

ASX:NCK Historical Debt June 30th 2020
ASX:NCK Historical Debt June 30th 2020

How Healthy Is Nick Scali's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Nick Scali had liabilities of AU$75.8m due within 12 months, and liabilities of AU$199.2m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had AU$43.7m in cash and AU$616.0k in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total AU$230.7m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit isn't so bad because Nick Scali is worth AU$528.9m, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Nick Scali boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

But the other side of the story is that Nick Scali saw its EBIT decline by 8.8% over the last year. If earnings continue to decline at that rate the company may have increasing difficulty managing its debt load. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Nick Scali's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Nick Scali 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 most recent three years, Nick Scali recorded free cash flow worth 57% 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

While Nick Scali does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of AU$10.00m. So we are not troubled with Nick Scali's debt use. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Nick Scali , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

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