We recently compiled a list of the 7 Best Debt Free Stocks To Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) stands against the other debt free stocks.

Debt has always been the fuel driving many companies in the equity markets. Access to cheap capital when interest rates were at all-time lows of 0.25% saw most companies in the S&P 500 bolster their balance sheet to finance various operations, including research and development and recurrent expenditure.

However, during the Federal Reserve’s meeting on July 30-31, 2024, interest rates were kept unchanged at 5.25% – 5.50%. Officials noted that inflation is nearing its target, potentially allowing for future rate cuts. “The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals continue to move into better balance,” the Federal Open Market Committee stated. Chair Jerome Powell mentioned that a rate cut could be possible in September if inflation continues to ease.

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To combat inflation, the rate was raised 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023. Amy Hubble, principal investment advisor with Radix Financial, noted, “If they cut 0.25% at a time, that’s 12 cuts over several years. So this isn’t something that’s going to happen quickly.”

The interest rates companies pay for business loans in the US vary widely based on factors like the type of loan, the lender, and the company’s creditworthiness. As of 2024, average interest rates for small business term loans range from 7.85% for fixed-rate loans to 8.79% for variable-rate loans. Online business loans can have rates from 9% to 75%, while SBA loans range from 11.50% to 16.50%. Rates can be significantly higher for businesses with poor credit.

Nevertheless, one thing that became clear after the 2008 financial crisis is that large debt loads can weigh on a company, leading to severe implications. Amid the high interest rate environment, with the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates last year to between 5.25% and 5.50% to try and tame inflation, companies failing to meet their debt obligation increased to 153 from 85 the previous year.

Big businesses could be in trouble as the Federal Reserve reports a staggering $13.7 trillion in debt in corporate America. S&P indicates that the amount of debt companies hold has increased by 18.3% since 2020, largely due to firms taking advantage of the Federal Reserve’s move to reduce interest rates at the beginning of the pandemic.

While most people might argue that companies with zero debt are not optimizing their capital structures for growth, that’s only sometimes the case. The best debt-free stocks to buy are companies with solid balance sheets owing to their strong free cash flow generation capabilities. It also affirms the resiliency of the company’s core business to generate significant cash flow, therefore fending off the need to take up debt.

However, taking on debt is only acceptable if the business generates profits and adopts strict protocols to prevent defaulting on payments. If major corporations default on their obligations, it might lead to bankruptcy.

In the US, concerns about impending recession and an uptick in the benchmark rate resulting in higher interest payments have compelled businesses to reduce their debt levels significantly. Consequently, some companies have stood their ground, operating within their means by relying on their free cash flow instead of taking up debt.

In this case, some companies have a history of operating with low or no debt. Instead of taking up debt, they hold cash and short-term highly liquid assets to make acquisitions and finance day-to-day operations.

Therefore, the best debt-free stocks to buy belong to firms that have successfully met their financial responsibilities, making them intriguing investments for individuals seeking stability. A debt-free position indicates lower financial risk and increased financial flexibility for the organization.

The debt-to-equity ratio is a popular financial metric used to measure a company’s financial leverage. It is arrived at by dividing total liabilities by shareholders’ equity. Companies with high debt-to-equity ratios relative to the industry’s average imply they rely more on debt to finance their operations, which can be risky.

Generally, the best debt-to-equity ratio of any company looking to manage its debt load is 1 to 1.5. However, the appropriate ratio depends on various factors, including the company’s growth stage and industry sector.

In addition to the debt-to-equity ratio, it is essential to evaluate the enterprise value when analyzing the best debt-free stocks to buy. Enterprise value is arrived at by considering both the current share price (market capitalization) and the cost to pay off debt (net debt or debt minus cash)

Companies in a solid financial position tend to have a much lower enterprise value than market cap, i.e. more net cash.

Our Methodology

We meticulously reviewed the top 100 stocks from the Yahoo screener, selecting those with zero or very little debt. We compared their enterprise value (EV) to their market capitalization. We then ranked the best debt-free stocks in ascending order of their potential upside, as of August 16.

At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA)

Market Cap as of 16/08/2024: $1.12 Billion

Enterprise Value: $572.00 Million

Upside Potential: 185.84%

Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) is a clinical biotechnology firm specializing in discovering new treatments for illnesses linked to problems with protein dysregulation. The firm is engaged in advancing birtamimab, an experimental humanized antibody currently in its third phase of clinical trials for the cure of AL amyloidosis; Prasinezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, aimed at treating Parkinson’s disease and other associated synucleinopathies.

Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA)’s emphasis on developing new treatments for neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s has captured the attention of both investors and experts. The advancement and potential achievements of Prothena’s pipeline initiatives are diligently watched, as favorable outcomes might result in significant breakthroughs in treating these difficult diseases. Analysts at RBC Capital have shared their conviction that there could be substantial benefits if the pipeline initiatives are successful.

Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) reported earnings per share of $1.22, beating the consensus estimate of a loss of $1.01 a share. Higher revenues drove the earnings beat. Revenues totaled $132 million, above estimates of $22 million and a significant improvement from $4 million in the year-ago quarter. The company ranks second on our list of best debt-free stocks to buy. It also had a low debt level of about $12.12 million as of the end of last year.

Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) is increasingly becoming one of the best debt-free stocks to buy, having inked a strategic collaboration with Bristol Myers worth $80 million for PRX012, a wholly-owned potential best-in-class, next-generation antibody.

While Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) is down by about 50% for the year, analysts on Wall Street remain upbeat about the stocks’ long-term prospects given its pipeline of drugs that affirm long-term prospects. The average price target on the stock is $69.83, which implies a 185.84% upside potential from current levels. 15 out of 920 hedge funds tracked by the Insider Monkey database held stakes in the company as of the end of Q1 2024.

Overall PTRA ranks 2nd on our list of the best debt free stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of PTRA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an A.I. stock that is more promising than PTRA check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.