Companies Like Whispir (ASX:WSP) Are In A Position To Invest In Growth

We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. By way of example, Whispir (ASX:WSP) has seen its share price rise 130% over the last year, delighting many shareholders. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

Given its strong share price performance, we think it's worthwhile for Whispir shareholders to consider whether its cash burn is concerning. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

View our latest analysis for Whispir

Does Whispir Have A Long Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In June 2020, Whispir had AU$16m in cash, and was debt-free. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$11m. That means it had a cash runway of around 17 months as of June 2020. Notably, analysts forecast that Whispir will break even (at a free cash flow level) in about 3 years. That means unless the company reduces its cash burn quickly, it may well look to raise more cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Well Is Whispir Growing?

It was fairly positive to see that Whispir reduced its cash burn by 30% during the last year. On top of that, operating revenue was up 26%, making for a heartening combination It seems to be growing nicely. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years.

How Hard Would It Be For Whispir To Raise More Cash For Growth?

Even though it seems like Whispir is developing its business nicely, we still like to consider how easily it could raise more money to accelerate growth. 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 looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$375m, Whispir's AU$11m in cash burn equates to about 3.0% of its market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan.

How Risky Is Whispir's Cash Burn Situation?

Whispir appears to be in pretty good health when it comes to its cash burn situation. Not only was its revenue growth quite good, but its cash burn relative to its market cap was a real positive. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 1 warning sign for Whispir that you should be aware of before investing.

Of course Whispir 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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