Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. As with many other companies Paramatrix Technologies Limited (NSE:PARAMATRIX) makes use of debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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 think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of September 2025 Paramatrix Technologies had ₹139.3m of debt, an increase on none, over one year. However, it does have ₹294.3m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of ₹155.0m.
The latest balance sheet data shows that Paramatrix Technologies had liabilities of ₹43.8m due within a year, and liabilities of ₹155.5m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of ₹294.3m and ₹35.7m worth of receivables due within a year. So it can boast ₹130.6m more liquid assets than total liabilities.
This surplus suggests that Paramatrix Technologies has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty. Succinctly put, Paramatrix Technologies boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
See our latest analysis for Paramatrix Technologies
The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Paramatrix Technologies if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 30% cut to EBIT over the last year. When it comes to paying off debt, falling earnings are no more useful than sugary sodas are for your health. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is Paramatrix Technologies's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.
But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. Paramatrix Technologies may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Paramatrix Technologies burned a lot of cash. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.
While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Paramatrix Technologies has net cash of ₹155.0m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. So while Paramatrix Technologies does not have a great balance sheet, it's certainly not too bad. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Paramatrix Technologies you should be aware of, and 3 of them are a bit concerning.
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.
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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.