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.' 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 Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002181) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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

How Much Debt Does Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media had CN¥452.0m of debt in September 2024, down from CN¥544.5m, one year before. However, it also had CN¥203.9m in cash, and so its net debt is CN¥248.1m.

A Look At Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media's Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media had liabilities of CN¥443.5m due within 12 months, and liabilities of CN¥548.0m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had CN¥203.9m in cash and CN¥148.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by CN¥639.0m.

Given Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media has a market capitalization of CN¥4.93b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. 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 Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media will need earnings to service that debt. 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.

In the last year Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 4.9%, to CN¥587m. That rate of growth is a bit slow for our taste, but it takes all types to make a world.

Caveat Emptor

Over the last twelve months Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media produced an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at CN¥53m. 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¥69m in negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. So suffice it to say we do consider the stock to be risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media 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.