We Think Newron Pharmaceuticals (VTX:NWRN) Has A Fair Chunk Of 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.' 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. Importantly, Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. (VTX:NWRN) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Newron Pharmaceuticals

What Is Newron Pharmaceuticals's Net Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2021 Newron Pharmaceuticals had €26.4m of debt, an increase on €24.7m, over one year. However, it also had €21.9m in cash, and so its net debt is €4.47m.

How Strong Is Newron Pharmaceuticals' Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Newron Pharmaceuticals had liabilities of €3.53m due within a year, and liabilities of €27.7m falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of €21.9m as well as receivables valued at €4.27m due within 12 months. So its liabilities total €5.02m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

Given Newron Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalization of €34.7m, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward. 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 Newron Pharmaceuticals'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.

In the last year Newron Pharmaceuticals had a loss before interest and tax, and actually shrunk its revenue by 26%, to €5.4m. That makes us nervous, to say the least.

Caveat Emptor

Not only did Newron Pharmaceuticals's revenue slip over the last twelve months, but it also produced negative earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). Its EBIT loss was a whopping €16m. Considering that alongside the liabilities mentioned above does not give us much confidence that company should be using so much debt. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. Another cause for caution is that is bled €17m in negative free cash flow over the last twelve months. So in short it's a really risky stock. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Newron Pharmaceuticals .

Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.

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.

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