Heidelberg Pharma (ETR:HPHA) Will Have To Spend Its Cash Wisely

Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly.

So, the natural question for Heidelberg Pharma (ETR:HPHA) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

Check out our latest analysis for Heidelberg Pharma

When Might Heidelberg Pharma Run Out Of Money?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at August 2021, Heidelberg Pharma had cash of €14m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was €25m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from August 2021 it had roughly 7 months of cash runway. That's quite a short cash runway, indicating the company must either reduce its annual cash burn or replenish its cash. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Well Is Heidelberg Pharma Growing?

At first glance it's a bit worrying to see that Heidelberg Pharma actually boosted its cash burn by 41%, year on year. It's even more troubling to see that operating revenue fell 75% during the period. Considering these two factors together makes us nervous about the direction the company seems to be heading. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

How Easily Can Heidelberg Pharma Raise Cash?

Given its revenue and free cash flow are both moving in the wrong direction, shareholders may well be wondering how easily Heidelberg Pharma could raise cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Heidelberg Pharma has a market capitalisation of €180m and burnt through €25m last year, which is 14% of the company's market value. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted.

How Risky Is Heidelberg Pharma's Cash Burn Situation?

On this analysis of Heidelberg Pharma's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its falling revenue has us a bit worried. Considering all the measures mentioned in this report, we reckon that its cash burn is fairly risky, and if we held shares we'd be watching like a hawk for any deterioration. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 6 warning signs for Heidelberg Pharma (2 are a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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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.

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