Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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 note that Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE:600989) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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. 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 step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

How Much Debt Does Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2024, Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group had CN¥30.1b of debt, up from CN¥21.2b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, because it has a cash reserve of CN¥4.10b, its net debt is less, at about CN¥26.0b.

How Healthy Is Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group had liabilities of CN¥20.3b due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥25.7b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had CN¥4.10b in cash and CN¥133.5m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total CN¥41.8b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group has a huge market capitalization of CN¥116.1b, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

We'd say that Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group's moderate net debt to EBITDA ratio ( being 2.5), indicates prudence when it comes to debt. And its commanding EBIT of 12.9 times its interest expense, implies the debt load is as light as a peacock feather. It is well worth noting that Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group's EBIT shot up like bamboo after rain, gaining 39% in the last twelve months. That'll make it easier to manage its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Over the last three years, Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group saw substantial negative free cash flow, in total. While that may be a result of expenditure for growth, it does make the debt far more risky.

Our View

Based on what we've seen Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group is not finding it easy, given its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow, but the other factors we considered give us cause to be optimistic. There's no doubt that its ability to to cover its interest expense with its EBIT is pretty flash. When we consider all the factors mentioned above, we do feel a bit cautious about Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group's use of debt. While we appreciate debt can enhance returns on equity, we'd suggest that shareholders keep close watch on its debt levels, lest they increase. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Be aware that Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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.