Is Eneva (BVMF:ENEV3) Using Too Much Debt?

Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a 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. As with many other companies Eneva S.A. (BVMF:ENEV3) makes use of debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. 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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

See our latest analysis for Eneva

What Is Eneva's Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of December 2021, Eneva had R$7.75b of debt, up from R$7.04b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had R$1.68b in cash, and so its net debt is R$6.07b.

How Healthy Is Eneva's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, Eneva had liabilities of R$1.44b due within 12 months, and liabilities of R$7.81b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of R$1.68b and R$883.5m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities total R$6.69b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Eneva has a market capitalization of R$16.5b, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution.

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.

Eneva has net debt to EBITDA of 3.1 suggesting it uses a fair bit of leverage to boost returns. But the high interest coverage of 9.6 suggests it can easily service that debt. It is well worth noting that Eneva's EBIT shot up like bamboo after rain, gaining 34% in the last twelve months. That'll make it easier to manage its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Eneva's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. Over the last three years, Eneva recorded negative free cash flow, in total. Debt is far more risky for companies with unreliable free cash flow, so shareholders should be hoping that the past expenditure will produce free cash flow in the future.

Our View

On our analysis Eneva's EBIT growth rate should signal that it won't have too much trouble with its debt. However, our other observations weren't so heartening. To be specific, it seems about as good at converting EBIT to free cash flow as wet socks are at keeping your feet warm. Looking at all this data makes us feel a little cautious about Eneva's debt levels. While debt does have its upside in higher potential returns, we think shareholders should definitely consider how debt levels might make the stock more risky. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example - Eneva has 1 warning sign 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.