Yahoo Finance StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE) Takes On Some Risk With Its Use Of Debt
David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the 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. We can see that StoneCo Ltd. (NASDAQ:STNE) does use debt in its business. 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 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. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.
See our latest analysis for StoneCo
What Is StoneCo's Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2021 StoneCo had R$8.09b of debt, an increase on R$5.91b, over one year. However, its balance sheet shows it holds R$8.84b in cash, so it actually has R$746.2m net cash.
A Look At StoneCo's Liabilities
The latest balance sheet data shows that StoneCo had liabilities of R$22.8b due within a year, and liabilities of R$5.67b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of R$8.84b as well as receivables valued at R$20.3b due within 12 months. So it actually has R$659.3m more liquid assets than total liabilities.
This short term liquidity is a sign that StoneCo could probably pay off its debt with ease, as its balance sheet is far from stretched. Simply put, the fact that StoneCo has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely.
The bad news is that StoneCo saw its EBIT decline by 19% over the last year. If that sort of decline is not arrested, then the managing its debt will be harder than selling broccoli flavoured ice-cream for a premium. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine StoneCo'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. StoneCo may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the last three years, StoneCo saw substantial negative free cash flow, in total. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is more risky.
Summing up
While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that StoneCo has net cash of R$746.2m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. Despite its cash we think that StoneCo seems to struggle to convert EBIT to free cash flow, so we are wary of the stock. 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. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for StoneCo you should know about.
At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.
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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.
