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Lire un Bilan : Dettes, Cash et Solvabilité

قراءة الميزانية: مرسى المغرب مفككة (الديون، النقد، حقوق الملكية)

Reading a balance sheet: Marsa Maroc decoded (debt, cash, equity)

BVC practical case — why start with Marsa Maroc?

BVC practical case: a listed company’s balance sheet summarises what it owns (assets) and how it is financed (liabilities). On Casabourse, open the Marsa Maroc page then the comparator to cross net debt, market cap (~59.8 bn MAD) and EBITDA. Marsa is an ideal teaching case: healthy balance sheet, traffic growth, and negative net debt — it holds more cash than financial debt.

The three blocks to remember

1. Assets: what the company owns or generates (port fixed assets, land, equipment, inventory, receivables, cash).

2. Liabilities: how it is financed — equity (capital + reserves + retained earnings) and debt (bank loans, bonds, payables, provisions).

3. Fundamental balance: Assets = Liabilities. If equity is solid and debt controlled, the company absorbs shocks better (traffic drop, capex investment).

Decoded balance sheet table — Marsa Maroc 2024 (RFA)

Balance sheet concept Marsa Maroc 2024 Marsa Maroc 2023 What it means
Revenue 5.01 bn MAD 4.32 bn MAD +15.9 % — port traffic growth
EBITDA 2.72 bn MAD 2.15 bn MAD Operating profitability rising
Net income 1.27 bn MAD 852 M MAD Profit that strengthens equity
Gross debt (borrowings) 1.60 bn MAD n/d published Real bank debt — not zero
Net debt −792 M MAD −24 M MAD Negative = net cash (cash > debt)
Net cash (order of magnitude) ~792 M MAD ~24 M MAD Room for capex and dividends
2024 EPS 17.26 MAD 11.61 MAD Basis for P/E (~47x at price ~815 MAD)
2024 dividend (DPS) 9.50 MAD 8.50 MAD Payout ~55 % — sustainable dividend
Market cap ~59.8 bn MAD Market values the port franchise

Sources: Marsa Maroc 2024 RFA, Casabourse page. Negative net debt: the Casabourse “debt” line is negative when cash exceeds financial debt.

Negative net debt: it is not “zero debt”

A common mistake: believing Marsa “has no debt”. In reality it shows 1.60 bn of gross debt in 2024 — borrowings to finance port extensions (Nador West Med, terminal modernisation). But it holds even more cash and equivalents (~2.4 bn in order of magnitude if you add cash and short-term investments from the balance sheet).

Net debt = financial debt − cash and equivalents. When the result is negative, we speak of net cash or negative net debt. For an acquirer, enterprise value (EV) becomes: market cap minus net cash — the buyer takes on cash in addition to operating assets.

Equity: the safety cushion

Equity is the share of the balance sheet financed by shareholders (share capital + premiums + reserves + accumulated earnings). Each year, Marsa’s net income (1.27 bn in 2024) grows this cushion — except the portion paid as dividend (9.50 MAD/share, payout ~55 %).

A solid balance sheet reads like this: growing equity + low or negative net debt + productive assets (quays, cranes, concessions) generating recurring EBITDA. Marsa ticks these boxes in 2024: revenue +16 %, net income +49 %, net cash rising.

Cash: not “extra profit”

Cash is not profit available for immediate distribution: part is reserved for investment (port capex), part for working capital (customer terms, inventory). Marsa invests to support container and bulk traffic growth. Net cash reinforces solidity; it alone does not guarantee the stock is cheap — P/E ~47x reflects a high valuation for superior growth and balance sheet quality.

Compare Marsa to a leveraged peer — comparator read

In the comparator, compare Marsa with Maroc Telecom: IAM shows positive net debt (~22.4 bn in 2024) for EBITDA ~19.2 bn — ratio ~1.17x, controlled but structural. Marsa, smaller in market cap (~60 bn vs ~80 bn), combines growth with a lighter balance sheet. Both are quality stocks; the balance sheet explains part of Marsa’s valuation premium.

Key takeaways — 4 lines to note on any page

  1. Net debt (positive or negative?)
  2. Equity (3-year trend)
  3. Net debt / EBITDA (if EBITDA published)
  4. Payout (is the dividend funded by the balance sheet or earnings?)

Key takeaways

  • Assets = Liabilities; equity = shareholders’ share.
  • Marsa 2024: net debt −792 M MAD (net cash).
  • Gross debt ~1.60 bn exists — not a company without borrowings.
  • Net income 1.27 bn strengthens equity; DPS 9.50 MAD, payout ~55 %.
  • Check the comparator and RFA before any decision.

Self-check

  1. What does negative net debt mean for Marsa Maroc in 2024?
  2. What is the order of magnitude of Marsa’s gross debt in 2024?
  3. How does net income affect equity?
  4. What is Marsa’s approximate payout on the 2024 dividend?
  5. Which Casabourse tool compares Marsa with Maroc Telecom?