Combined Charts

There are eight combined time-series charts, designed to provide comparisons of levels and trends of selected key variables over time.

They extend the principle behind the single charts; that it is easier to assimilate 35-year data in graphical rather than tabular format. If this argument holds then these combined charts should need very little explanation, since the issues should be self evident.

Trends in Income and Expenditure
Compares; Income from social housing lettings
Expenditure on social housing lettings
Surplus before interest and tax (SBIT)
Net interest
Surplus for the year before tax
Surplus for the year after tax

This chart will show very graphically
  a) any convergence or divergence of social housing income and expenditure
b) the amount of SBIT cover for interest
c) the amount of surplus (or deficit) over time.

Trends in Balance Sheet
Compares; Total net assets
Social Housing Grant (SHG)
Net total debt
Total capital and reserves

This chart will highlight, in particular
  a) the relationship of SHG to net assets
b) trends in net debt versus reserves


Balance Sheet Structure

Similar to the previous chart this shows a standardised balance sheet with a "stacked" analysis of the main liabilities as a percentage of fixed assets:

  Cash, stocks and debtors (which is and shown below the line as a negative but which tends to be negligible)
Total debt
Creditors (which trends to be negligible)
Total capital and reserves
SHG

This combined chart will clearly illustrate any changing pattern of funding.


Expenditure Components of Operating Cash Flow


This is a graphical representation of key cash flow components to facilitate assessment of the sustainability of the pattern of cash flows.

Compares; Operating cash flow
Cash flow after interest paid
Cash flow after capital expenditure
Cash flow after debt repayment

Irrespective of any particular loan covenants, cash flow after interest paid should generally be positive. If it is zero it means that 100% of capital expenditure, after grants, must be debt financed, and all maturing debt must be re-financed.


Major Cash Inflows and Outflows

This complements the previous chart and compares the main inflows;
  Operating cash flow before debt service
Net new borrowing
with the main outflows:
  Net interest paid
Net capital expenditure
Scheduled loan repayments


The chart will particularly highlight convergence or divergence among the main inflows or the main outflows, also any volatility in capital expenditure, loan repayment or new borrowing in particularly.

Profit and Cash Cover Ratios
Compares different measures of interest cover;
  Net interest cover
Cash interest cover
Cash debt service cover


A “marker” line of 1-0 is given to facilitate evaluation. Irrespective of specific loan covenants, this is aimed at assessing the adequacy of the margin between interest payable and the means to pay that interest, given likely volatility in interest payable, surplus or cash flow. Net interest cover is the Income and Expenditure cover (SBIT/Net interest) whereas the other two are taken directly from the Cash Flow Analysis table. Cash interest cover is defined as operating cash flow before debt service divided by net cash interest paid.

Cash debt service cover is defined as the same cash flow as above, but divided by net interest and scheduled debt repayments.

Cash interest cover will often be better than Income and Expenditure interest cover because of adding back depreciation and net working capital (positives) but it may be worse because of adding back capitalised repairs and maintenance and interest (negatives). The cash debt service cover ratio will always be lower than the cash interest cover ratio.

Debt Multiples
Compares; Net debt/EBITDA
Total Net debt per unit

Aimed at assessing, indirectly, the ability ultimately to repay debt from cash flow. More generally it summarises the manageability of the debt burden since full repayment from cash flow is seldom required or possible, given the strong asset backing of most housing associations.

Debt probably ought not to exceed 12.5 times EBITDA on this "relative" measure of debt capacity. Debt per unit has to be assessed in the context of local social housing prices.

Measures of Leverage

Compares; Net debt % Net assets (leverage)
Net debt % EUV(SH) asset value
Net debt % NPV (30 constant)
Net debt % NPV (30 years plus terminal value (TV))


Aimed at assessing the level of debt against different definitions of "asset value," from balance sheet accounting value, via estimated EUV(SH) based on rent multiples to net present value of discounted cash flows, either for the next 30 years or to infinity.

Debt ideally should be less than 100% of all these, except perhaps for the NPV (30 constant) in earlier years. A prudent maximum limit might generally be in the region of 70% ("loan to value").

Multi-Period Cover Ratios

Compares; LLCR (30 declining)
LLCR (30 constant)
HALCR

Aimed at comparing the net present value of forecast cash flows, over different periods, with the level of outstanding debt. These comparisons are expressed in terms of the 3 multi-period cover ratios.

LLCR (30 reducing) includes the value of cash flows for the remainder of the 30 year forecast period at any one time.

LLCR (30 constant always includes the value of the next 30 years’ cash flows.

The HALCR includes the value of cash flows in perpetuity.

NPV Values v Debt (£000s)

Compares; Total debt outstanding
NPV of 30 years plus TV
NPV of 30 years plus annuity
NPV of 30 years (reducing)

Aimed at comparing the level of debt with the net present value of forecast cash flows over the different periods, in absolute terms.

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