Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' 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 ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANIP) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. 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. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

What Is ANI Pharmaceuticals's Debt?

As you can see below, ANI Pharmaceuticals had US$285.5m of debt, at March 2024, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. On the flip side, it has US$238.3m in cash leading to net debt of about US$47.2m.

A Look At ANI Pharmaceuticals' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that ANI Pharmaceuticals had liabilities of US$136.9m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$300.8m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$238.3m as well as receivables valued at US$172.4m due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$27.0m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Of course, ANI Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalization of US$1.32b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

ANI Pharmaceuticals has a very low debt to EBITDA ratio of 0.42 so it is strange to see weak interest coverage, with last year's EBIT being only 2.2 times the interest expense. So one way or the other, it's clear the debt levels are not trivial. Notably, ANI Pharmaceuticals's EBIT launched higher than Elon Musk, gaining a whopping 171% on last year. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine ANI 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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the last two years, ANI Pharmaceuticals actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Our View

ANI Pharmaceuticals's conversion of EBIT to free cash flow suggests it can handle its debt as easily as Cristiano Ronaldo could score a goal against an under 14's goalkeeper. But the stark truth is that we are concerned by its interest cover. Looking at the bigger picture, we think ANI Pharmaceuticals's use of debt seems quite reasonable and we're not concerned about it. While debt does bring risk, when used wisely it can also bring a higher return on equity. 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 ANI Pharmaceuticals 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.