David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Raia Drogasil S.A. (BVMF:RADL3) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.
Why Does Debt Bring Risk?
Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
What Is Raia Drogasil's Debt?
As you can see below, Raia Drogasil had R$3.28b of debt, at September 2025, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. On the flip side, it has R$538.4m in cash leading to net debt of about R$2.74b.
How Healthy Is Raia Drogasil's Balance Sheet?
The latest balance sheet data shows that Raia Drogasil had liabilities of R$9.87b due within a year, and liabilities of R$6.95b falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of R$538.4m and R$4.01b worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling R$12.3b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.
Raia Drogasil has a market capitalization of R$39.7b, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution.
View our latest analysis for Raia Drogasil
We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).
While Raia Drogasil's low debt to EBITDA ratio of 0.85 suggests only modest use of debt, the fact that EBIT only covered the interest expense by 4.7 times last year does give us pause. But the interest payments are certainly sufficient to have us thinking about how affordable its debt is. Importantly Raia Drogasil's EBIT was essentially flat over the last twelve months. We would prefer to see some earnings growth, because that always helps diminish debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Raia Drogasil can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.
Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the most recent three years, Raia Drogasil recorded free cash flow worth 51% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.
Our View
When it comes to the balance sheet, the standout positive for Raia Drogasil was the fact that it seems able handle its debt, based on its EBITDA, confidently. However, our other observations weren't so heartening. For example, its interest cover makes us a little nervous about its debt. When we consider all the factors mentioned above, we do feel a bit cautious about Raia Drogasil's use of debt. While we appreciate debt can enhance returns on equity, we'd suggest that shareholders keep close watch on its debt levels, lest they increase. Over time, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, so if you're interested in Raia Drogasil, you may well want to click here to check an interactive graph of its earnings per share history.
When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.