Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We can see that Wasion Holdings Limited (HKG:3393) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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 thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

What Is Wasion Holdings's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that Wasion Holdings had CN¥2.51b of debt in December 2023, down from CN¥2.66b, one year before. However, it does have CN¥2.96b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of CN¥450.5m.

How Strong Is Wasion Holdings' Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Wasion Holdings had liabilities of CN¥6.23b falling due within a year, and liabilities of CN¥875.8m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of CN¥2.96b as well as receivables valued at CN¥5.39b due within 12 months. So it can boast CN¥1.25b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This surplus suggests that Wasion Holdings is using debt in a way that is appears to be both safe and conservative. Given it has easily adequate short term liquidity, we don't think it will have any issues with its lenders. Succinctly put, Wasion Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

On top of that, Wasion Holdings grew its EBIT by 56% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Wasion Holdings'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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Wasion Holdings 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, Wasion Holdings produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 72% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This cold hard cash means it can reduce its debt when it wants to.

Summing Up

While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Wasion Holdings has net cash of CN¥450.5m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. And we liked the look of last year's 56% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think Wasion Holdings's use of debt is 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. We've identified 1 warning sign with Wasion Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

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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.