Clevo (TWSE:2362) Takes On Some Risk With Its Use Of Debt

Simply Wall St · 10/19 01:59

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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 can see that Clevo Co. (TWSE:2362) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Clevo

What Is Clevo's Net Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2024 Clevo had NT$37.9b of debt, an increase on NT$33.6b, over one year. However, because it has a cash reserve of NT$10.7b, its net debt is less, at about NT$27.2b.

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TWSE:2362 Debt to Equity History October 19th 2024

How Healthy Is Clevo's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Clevo had liabilities of NT$19.8b due within 12 months, and liabilities of NT$37.7b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of NT$10.7b and NT$5.15b worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by NT$41.6b.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of NT$34.4b, we think shareholders really should watch Clevo's debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. In the scenario where the company had to clean up its balance sheet quickly, it seems likely shareholders would suffer extensive dilution.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

With a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 13.5, it's fair to say Clevo does have a significant amount of debt. However, its interest coverage of 3.4 is reasonably strong, which is a good sign. On a slightly more positive note, Clevo grew its EBIT at 15% over the last year, further increasing its ability to manage debt. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Clevo will need earnings to service that debt. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. During the last three years, Clevo produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 52% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This cold hard cash means it can reduce its debt when it wants to.

Our View

Mulling over Clevo's attempt at managing its debt, based on its EBITDA,, we're certainly not enthusiastic. But at least it's pretty decent at growing its EBIT; that's encouraging. Looking at the balance sheet and taking into account all these factors, we do believe that debt is making Clevo stock a bit risky. Some people like that sort of risk, but we're mindful of the potential pitfalls, so we'd probably prefer it carry less debt. 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 4 warning signs for Clevo (of which 1 is significant!) 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.