These 4 Measures Indicate That Terna (BIT:TRN) Is Using Debt Extensively
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.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. Importantly, Terna S.p.A. (BIT:TRN) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?
When Is Debt A Problem?
Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.
What Is Terna's Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of September 2025 Terna had €14.7b of debt, an increase on €12.9b, over one year. On the flip side, it has €3.06b in cash leading to net debt of about €11.7b.
A Look At Terna's Liabilities
According to the last reported balance sheet, Terna had liabilities of €5.88b due within 12 months, and liabilities of €13.0b due beyond 12 months. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of €3.06b as well as receivables valued at €1.17b due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by €14.6b.
This deficit is considerable relative to its very significant market capitalization of €18.0b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on Terna's use of debt. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.
See our latest analysis for Terna
We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.
Terna has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 4.4, which signals significant debt, but is still pretty reasonable for most types of business. However, its interest coverage of 10.2 is very high, suggesting that the interest expense on the debt is currently quite low. Terna grew its EBIT by 8.4% in the last year. Whilst that hardly knocks our socks off it is a positive when it comes to debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Terna can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.
But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. During the last three years, Terna burned a lot of cash. 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.
Our View
We'd go so far as to say Terna's conversion of EBIT to free cash flow was disappointing. But at least it's pretty decent at covering its interest expense with its EBIT; that's encouraging. It's also worth noting that Terna is in the Electric Utilities industry, which is often considered to be quite defensive. Once we consider all the factors above, together, it seems to us that Terna's debt is making it a bit risky. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we'd generally feel more comfortable with less leverage. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Terna (1 can't be ignored) 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.