Yahoo Finance Here's Why We're A Bit Worried About AuMake's (ASX:AUK) Cash Burn Situation
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.
So, the natural question for AuMake (ASX:AUK) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.
See our latest analysis for AuMake
How Long Is AuMake's Cash Runway?
You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at December 2020, AuMake had cash of AU$9.0m and such minimal debt that we can ignore it for the purposes of this analysis. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$13m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of approximately 9 months from December 2020. That's quite a short cash runway, indicating the company must either reduce its annual cash burn or replenish its cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.
Is AuMake's Revenue Growing?
We're hesitant to extrapolate on the recent trend to assess its cash burn, because AuMake actually had positive free cash flow last year, so operating revenue growth is probably our best bet to measure, right now. The harsh truth is that operating revenue dropped 67% in the last year, which is quite problematic for a cash burning company. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. You can take a look at how AuMake has developed its business over time by checking this visualization of its revenue and earnings history.
How Easily Can AuMake Raise Cash?
Given its problematic fall in revenue, AuMake shareholders should consider how the company could fund its growth, if it turns out it needs more cash. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).
Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$26m, AuMake's AU$13m in cash burn equates to about 48% of its market value. From this perspective, it seems that the company spent a huge amount relative to its market value, and we'd be very wary of a painful capital raising.
How Risky Is AuMake's Cash Burn Situation?
We must admit that we don't think AuMake is in a very strong position, when it comes to its cash burn. While its cash runway wasn't too bad, its falling revenue does leave us rather nervous. After considering the data discussed in this article, we don't have a lot of confidence that its cash burn rate is prudent, as it seems like it might need more cash soon. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 5 warning signs for AuMake you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit unpleasant.
Of course AuMake may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.
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.
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