The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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 Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & Tech Co.,Ltd (SZSE:002167) does use debt in its business. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

What Is Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of December 2023, Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd had CN¥838.7m of debt, up from CN¥607.3m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had CN¥547.5m in cash, and so its net debt is CN¥291.2m.

A Look At Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd's Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd had liabilities of CN¥1.92b due within 12 months and liabilities of CN¥131.0m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CN¥547.5m in cash and CN¥237.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN¥1.27b.

Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd has a market capitalization of CN¥6.05b, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd'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.

In the last year Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 5.6%, to CN¥1.4b. That rate of growth is a bit slow for our taste, but it takes all types to make a world.

Caveat Emptor

Importantly, Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last year. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at CN¥86m. 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. Another cause for caution is that is bled CN¥253m in negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. So suffice it to say we do consider the stock to be 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. Be aware that Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & TechLtd is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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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.