Here's Why CPFL Energia (BVMF:CPFE3) Has A Meaningful Debt Burden

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 seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We note that CPFL Energia S.A. (BVMF:CPFE3) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

What Is CPFL Energia's Net Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that CPFL Energia had R$31.8b in debt in June 2025; about the same as the year before. However, because it has a cash reserve of R$4.21b, its net debt is less, at about R$27.6b.

How Healthy Is CPFL Energia's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that CPFL Energia had liabilities of R$18.4b due within a year, and liabilities of R$38.4b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of R$4.21b as well as receivables valued at R$9.79b due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling R$42.8b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This is a mountain of leverage relative to its market capitalization of R$45.1b. This suggests shareholders would be heavily diluted if the company needed to shore up its balance sheet in a hurry.

See our latest analysis for CPFL Energia

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

CPFL Energia has net debt worth 2.1 times EBITDA, which isn't too much, but its interest cover looks a bit on the low side, with EBIT at only 6.6 times the interest expense. While that doesn't worry us too much, it does suggest the interest payments are somewhat of a burden. Notably CPFL Energia's EBIT was pretty flat over the last year. We would prefer to see some earnings growth, because that always helps diminish debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine CPFL Energia's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. In the last three years, CPFL Energia's free cash flow amounted to 29% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Our View

CPFL Energia's struggle to handle its total liabilities had us second guessing its balance sheet strength, but the other data-points we considered were relatively redeeming. But on the bright side, its ability to to cover its interest expense with its EBIT isn't too shabby at all. It's also worth noting that CPFL Energia is in the Electric Utilities industry, which is often considered to be quite defensive. When we consider all the factors discussed, it seems to us that CPFL Energia is taking some risks with its use of debt. While that debt can boost returns, we think the company has enough leverage now. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for CPFL Energia you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant.

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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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.