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 Keli Motor Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002892) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. 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.

What Is Keli Motor Group's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of September 2023, Keli Motor Group had CN¥167.5m of debt, up from CN¥79.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. But it also has CN¥575.8m in cash to offset that, meaning it has CN¥408.3m net cash.

How Strong Is Keli Motor Group's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Keli Motor Group had liabilities of CN¥390.4m due within 12 months, and liabilities of CN¥179.6m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥575.8m as well as receivables valued at CN¥395.3m due within 12 months. So it actually has CN¥401.2m more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus suggests that Keli Motor Group has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty. Succinctly put, Keli Motor Group boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Keli Motor Group if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 39% cut to EBIT over the last year. When a company sees its earnings tank, it can sometimes find its relationships with its lenders turn sour. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is Keli Motor Group's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Keli Motor Group may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Keli Motor Group burned a lot of cash. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.

Summing Up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Keli Motor Group has CN¥408.3m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. So while Keli Motor Group does not have a great balance sheet, it's certainly not too bad. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Keli Motor Group .

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.