Yahoo Finance London Security (LON:LSC) Could Easily Take On More Debt
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.' 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 London Security plc (LON:LSC) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
What Risk Does Debt Bring?
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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.
See our latest analysis for London Security
What Is London Security's Net Debt?
As you can see below, London Security had UK£4.48m of debt at June 2021, down from UK£6.45m a year prior. But on the other hand it also has UK£43.7m in cash, leading to a UK£39.2m net cash position.
How Strong Is London Security's Balance Sheet?
According to the last reported balance sheet, London Security had liabilities of UK£33.2m due within 12 months, and liabilities of UK£8.35m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of UK£43.7m and UK£30.4m worth of receivables due within a year. So it actually has UK£32.6m more liquid assets than total liabilities.
This short term liquidity is a sign that London Security could probably pay off its debt with ease, as its balance sheet is far from stretched. Succinctly put, London Security boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
In addition to that, we're happy to report that London Security has boosted its EBIT by 42%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. 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 London Security 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.
Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. While London Security has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, London Security recorded free cash flow worth 79% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.
Summing up
While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case London Security has UK£39.2m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. And we liked the look of last year's 42% year-on-year EBIT growth. So is London Security's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for London Security you should know about.
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.
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.
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