PEAK AIR CONDITIONING LTD
Company number 05763020 · Monitor this company
This analysis was written by an AI from the company's public filings. It may contain errors or omissions and is not financial or professional advice.
Credit Assessment: PEAK AIR CONDITIONING LTD
1. Credit Opinion: CONDITIONAL APPROVE
Peak Air Conditioning Ltd presents as a well-established, profitable business with a consistent track record of growth and strong cash generation. The company has traded since 2006, demonstrating longevity in the HVAC installation sector. Net assets have grown steadily from £400k (2016) to £843k (2025), and the cash position of £1.027m is robust. However, the significant expansion in both trade debtors (+43.6% YoY) and trade creditors (+123% YoY) raises working capital management concerns that warrant monitoring. Credit approval is conditional on understanding the debtor quality and creditor payment terms.
Key Risk Factor: The disproportionate growth in creditors versus debtors suggests potential cash flow pressure or deliberate stretching of supplier terms, which could impact payment behaviour to the bank.
2. Financial Strength
Balance Sheet Summary (FY2025):
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | £2,649,326 | £1,944,358 | +36.2% |
| Total Liabilities | £1,806,244 | £1,153,143 | +56.7% |
| Net Assets | £843,082 | £791,215 | +6.5% |
| Cash | £1,027,171 | £677,350 | +51.7% |
Equity Position: - Shareholders' funds: £843,082 (growing consistently) - P&L reserve: £835,270 (accumulated profits, indicating long-term profitability) - Share capital: £7,812 (unchanged — growth is entirely organic) - Gearing (liabilities-to-equity): 2.14:1 — moderate but acceptable for a trade creditor-funded business
Asset Composition: - Fixed assets: £1,187 (negligible — asset-light service model) - Trade debtors: £932,681 (35.2% of total assets) - Other debtors: £609,767 (23.0% of total assets) - Cash: £1,027,171 (38.8% of total assets)
The business is fundamentally a people-and-cash operation with minimal fixed asset requirements. The balance sheet is creditor-heavy, with no visible bank debt — liabilities comprise trade creditors, accruals, and tax obligations. This is a positive indicator as the business is not leveraged to external lenders.
Concern: Other debtors of £609,767 is material. Clarity is needed on what this represents — if it includes related-party balances or prepayments that may not convert to cash, the true liquidity position could be weaker than headline figures suggest.
3. Cash Flow Assessment
Working Capital Analysis (FY2025):
| Metric | Value | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Current Assets | £2,648,139 | - |
| Current Liabilities | £1,806,244 | - |
| Net Current Assets | £841,895 | - |
| Current Ratio | - | 1.47:1 |
| Quick Ratio (ex-debtors) | - | 0.60:1 |
Cash Flow Indicators: - Retained profit for year: £51,867 (P&L reserve movement: £835,270 - £783,403) - Dividends paid: £194,360 - Implied total profit: ~£246,227 - Cash conversion appears strong given the £350k increase in cash balances
Debtor Days Concern: Without turnover data (filed under small companies exemption), precise debtor days cannot be calculated. However, trade debtors of £932,681 in a business of this scale likely represents 3-5 months of revenue. For an HVAC installation business, this seems high and may indicate: - Milestone billing on contracts with slow client sign-off - Retention balances held by main contractors - Potential collection issues
Creditor Position: - Trade creditors: £941,210 (doubled from £421,685) - Accruals & deferred income: £826,867 - Tax & social security: £45,189
The tripling of trade creditors is the most significant balance sheet movement. This could indicate: 1. Positive: The business is growing rapidly and managing supplier terms to fund expansion 2. Negative: Cash flow pressure is causing payment delays to suppliers 3. Neutral: Timing of large project-related purchases at year-end
Given the strong cash position, interpretation #1 or #3 is more likely, but this requires validation.
4. Monitoring Points
| Metric | Current | Watch Threshold | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.47:1 | Below 1.2:1 | Working capital adequacy |
| Trade Debtors | £932,681 | >£1.2m | Collection risk and potential bad debts |
| Trade Creditors | £941,210 | Sustained growth >£1m | Supplier payment stress |
| Cash Position | £1.027m | Below £500k | Liquidity buffer |
| Net Assets | £843,082 | Declining trend | Balance sheet deterioration |
| Dividend Extraction | £194,360 | >50% of net profit | Capital retention concerns |
| Employee Count | 11 | Below 8 | Capacity constraints |
| Filing Compliance | Current | Any overdue filing | Governance red flag |
Specific Monitoring Actions: 1. Obtain turnover data — small company accounts obscure P&L; request management accounts to calculate meaningful ratios (debtor days, creditor days, operating margin) 2. Clarify other debtors — £609,767 is material; determine if this represents recoverable amounts or related-party positions 3. Review creditor aging — validate that the increase in trade creditors is not due to overdue supplier payments 4. Monitor dividend policy — £194k extraction in FY2025 is significant; continued high dividends could erode the balance sheet 5. Track the debtor-to-creditor relationship — if trade debtors consistently exceed trade creditors, this indicates the business is funding clients (negative working capital cycle in reverse)