Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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. We note that Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300199) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Hybio Pharmaceutical

What Is Hybio Pharmaceutical's Debt?

As you can see below, Hybio Pharmaceutical had CN¥1.74b of debt, at September 2023, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. On the flip side, it has CN¥51.5m in cash leading to net debt of about CN¥1.69b.

How Healthy Is Hybio Pharmaceutical's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Hybio Pharmaceutical had liabilities of CN¥1.24b due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥906.6m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of CN¥51.5m and CN¥289.2m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN¥1.80b.

Since publicly traded Hybio Pharmaceutical shares are worth a total of CN¥16.6b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse. 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 Hybio Pharmaceutical 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.

In the last year Hybio Pharmaceutical had a loss before interest and tax, and actually shrunk its revenue by 24%, to CN¥575m. To be frank that doesn't bode well.

Caveat Emptor

While Hybio Pharmaceutical's falling revenue is about as heartwarming as a wet blanket, arguably its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss is even less appealing. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at CN¥307m. Considering that alongside the liabilities mentioned above does not give us much confidence that company should be using so much debt. Quite frankly we think the balance sheet is far from match-fit, although it could be improved with time. However, it doesn't help that it burned through CN¥158m of cash over the last year. So to be blunt we think it is risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Hybio Pharmaceutical that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.

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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.