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 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 note that Robex Resources Inc. (CVE:RBX) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. 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 Robex Resources

What Is Robex Resources's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Robex Resources had debt of CA$7.96m at the end of September 2020, a reduction from CA$23.5m over a year. However, its balance sheet shows it holds CA$9.41m in cash, so it actually has CA$1.45m net cash.

A Look At Robex Resources' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Robex Resources had liabilities of CA$18.4m due within 12 months and liabilities of CA$8.05m due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CA$9.41m in cash and CA$4.95m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total CA$12.1m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Of course, Robex Resources has a market capitalization of CA$278.6m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Robex Resources boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Even more impressive was the fact that Robex Resources grew its EBIT by 469% over twelve months. That boost will make it even easier to pay down debt going forward. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Robex Resources's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. While Robex Resources 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 last three years, Robex Resources recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 90% of its EBIT, which is stronger than we'd usually expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to look at a company's total liabilities, it is very reassuring that Robex Resources has CA$1.45m in net cash. The cherry on top was that in converted 90% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in CA$49m. So is Robex Resources's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. 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. Be aware that Robex Resources is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , 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. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.