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. We can see that Dekon Food and Agriculture Group (HKG:2419) does use debt in its business. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

What Is Dekon Food and Agriculture Group's Debt?

As you can see below, Dekon Food and Agriculture Group had CN¥6.10b of debt at December 2023, down from CN¥6.93b a year prior. However, it also had CN¥2.60b in cash, and so its net debt is CN¥3.50b.

A Look At Dekon Food and Agriculture Group's Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Dekon Food and Agriculture Group had liabilities of CN¥9.69b due within 12 months and liabilities of CN¥5.39b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥2.60b and CN¥97.9m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN¥12.4b.

This deficit is considerable relative to its market capitalization of CN¥18.0b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on Dekon Food and Agriculture Group's use of debt. This suggests shareholders would be heavily diluted if the company needed to shore up its balance sheet in a hurry. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Dekon Food and Agriculture Group can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

In the last year Dekon Food and Agriculture Group wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 7.4%, to CN¥16b. We usually like to see faster growth from unprofitable companies, but each to their own.

Caveat Emptor

Over the last twelve months Dekon Food and Agriculture Group produced an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at CN¥1.0b. When we look at that and recall the liabilities on its balance sheet, relative to cash, it seems unwise to us for the company to have any debt. Quite frankly we think the balance sheet is far from match-fit, although it could be improved with time. We would feel better if it turned its trailing twelve month loss of CN¥1.8b into a profit. So to be blunt we do think it is risky. 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. We've identified 1 warning sign with Dekon Food and Agriculture Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

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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.