We Think Cango (NYSE:CANG) Can Manage Its Debt With Ease
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. 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. As with many other companies Cango Inc. (NYSE:CANG) makes use of debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
When Is Debt Dangerous?
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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
View our latest analysis for Cango
How Much Debt Does Cango Carry?
The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at September 2019 Cango had debt of CN¥2.08b, up from CN¥1.06b in one year. But on the other hand it also has CN¥2.31b in cash, leading to a CN¥236.2m net cash position.
How Strong Is Cango's Balance Sheet?
Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Cango had liabilities of CN¥2.27b due within 12 months and liabilities of CN¥230.2m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CN¥2.31b in cash and CN¥1.66b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it can boast CN¥1.47b more liquid assets than total liabilities.
It's good to see that Cango has plenty of liquidity on its balance sheet, suggesting conservative management of liabilities. Due to its strong net asset position, it is not likely to face issues with its lenders. Succinctly put, Cango boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
Also positive, Cango grew its EBIT by 22% in the last year, and that should make it easier to pay down debt, going forward. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Cango'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 business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Cango 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, Cango recorded free cash flow worth 58% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This cold hard cash means it can reduce its debt when it wants to.
Summing up
While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Cango has CN¥236.2m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. And we liked the look of last year's 22% year-on-year EBIT growth. So is Cango'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. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Cango you should be aware of.
If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
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