Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários (BVMF:MULT3) Has A Pretty Healthy Balance Sheet

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We can see that Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários S.A. (BVMF:MULT3) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários

What Is Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários's Debt?

As you can see below, Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários had R$3.02b of debt, at December 2021, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, it does have R$553.8m in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about R$2.47b.

How Healthy Is Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários had liabilities of R$1.06b due within 12 months and liabilities of R$3.24b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had R$553.8m in cash and R$588.4m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by R$3.16b.

This deficit isn't so bad because Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários is worth R$12.8b, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt.

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). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.0 and its EBIT covered its interest expense 5.1 times. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. Also relevant is that Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários has grown its EBIT by a very respectable 26% in the last year, thus enhancing its ability to pay down 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 Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.

Our View

The good news is that Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários's demonstrated ability to convert EBIT to free cash flow delights us like a fluffy puppy does a toddler. But, on a more sombre note, we are a little concerned by its net debt to EBITDA. Taking all this data into account, it seems to us that Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários takes a pretty sensible approach to debt. While that brings some risk, it can also enhance returns for shareholders. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example - Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.