Is Dt&C (KOSDAQ:187220) Using Debt Sensibly?

Simply Wall St · 10/14 23:32

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. Importantly, Dt&C Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:187220) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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 thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Dt&C

What Is Dt&C's Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Dt&C had ₩72.3b in debt in June 2024; about the same as the year before. On the flip side, it has ₩28.0b in cash leading to net debt of about ₩44.3b.

debt-equity-history-analysis
KOSDAQ:A187220 Debt to Equity History October 14th 2024

A Look At Dt&C's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Dt&C had liabilities of ₩107.8b due within a year, and liabilities of ₩20.8b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of ₩28.0b and ₩31.3b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by ₩69.3b.

The deficiency here weighs heavily on the ₩39.5b company itself, as if a child were struggling under the weight of an enormous back-pack full of books, his sports gear, and a trumpet. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. At the end of the day, Dt&C would probably need a major re-capitalization if its creditors were to demand repayment. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Dt&C's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Over 12 months, Dt&C made a loss at the EBIT level, and saw its revenue drop to ₩97b, which is a fall of 12%. We would much prefer see growth.

Caveat Emptor

Not only did Dt&C's revenue slip over the last twelve months, but it also produced negative earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). Indeed, it lost a very considerable ₩20b at the EBIT level. When we look at that alongside the significant liabilities, we're not particularly confident about the company. It would need to improve its operations quickly for us to be interested in it. Not least because it burned through ₩19b in negative free cash flow over the last year. That means it's on the risky side of things. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Dt&C (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about.

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.