David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. As with many other companies Gotion High-tech Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:002074) makes use of debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Gotion High-techLtd

What Is Gotion High-techLtd's Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2023, Gotion High-techLtd had CN¥32.5b of debt, up from CN¥20.9b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had CN¥18.6b in cash, and so its net debt is CN¥13.9b.

A Look At Gotion High-techLtd's Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Gotion High-techLtd had liabilities of CN¥40.3b due within 12 months and liabilities of CN¥21.6b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥18.6b as well as receivables valued at CN¥14.3b due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling CN¥29.0b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This deficit is considerable relative to its market capitalization of CN¥41.3b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on Gotion High-techLtd's use of debt. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Gotion High-techLtd's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Over 12 months, Gotion High-techLtd reported revenue of CN¥30b, which is a gain of 60%, although it did not report any earnings before interest and tax. With any luck the company will be able to grow its way to profitability.

Caveat Emptor

Even though Gotion High-techLtd managed to grow its top line quite deftly, the cold hard truth is that it is losing money on the EBIT line. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at CN¥169m. 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. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. However, it doesn't help that it burned through CN¥11b of cash over the last year. So suffice it to say we consider the stock very 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Gotion High-techLtd .

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.