Diagnósticos da América S.A. (BVMF:DASA3)
Brazil flag Brazil · Delayed Price · Currency is BRL
3.290
+0.020 (0.61%)
Sep 23, 2026, 1:44 PM GMT-3
← View all transcripts

Earnings Call: Q4 2023

Mar 28, 2024

Operator

[Non-English content] Good afternoon, to all participants. Welcome to Dasa's conference call to discuss the earnings regarding the fourth quarter 2023. This conference call is being recorded and the replay can be accessed on the company's website www.ri.dasa3.com.br. The presentation will also be available for download. We would like to inform you that all participants will be only watching the conference call during the company's presentation. We will then start a Q&A session when further instructions will be provided.

We would like to let you know that any information in this presentation and any statements that may be made during this event regarding business prospects, projections, operating and financial targets of Dasa, are based on beliefs and assumptions of the company's management, as well as on currently available information. Forward-looking statements are not guarantee of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as they refer to future events, and therefore depend on circumstances that may or may not occur. Investors should understand that general economic conditions, market conditions, and other operating factors may affect Dasa's future performance. Now I will turn the floor over to Mr. Lício Cintra that will start the presentation. Mr. Cintra, you may go on.

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Good afternoon, everyone. Before we start today's presentation, I would like to reinforce my thank you to everyone who is following the company on my first public earnings conference call as CEO. Last time I was with Pedro in our transition period. As you know, as I got to the company in August 2023, I always focus on getting to know our leadership's operations, and particularly the positioning of our assets in each region in Brazil. As you all know as well, under the leadership of Pedro, Dasa became a large healthcare group with revenues of over BRL 15 billion.

In this period, there were lots of acquisitions of diagnostics hospitals, in addition to other businesses that complemented the concept of ecosystem, whose central point was to have better quality medicine by using data and following the user journey. Obviously, in such accelerated growth as we had in Dasa, challenges were posed. We had to review processes and take a deeper dive in the chain as a whole. My arrival is to address this new phase that the company is going to go through in the coming years. The idea is for me to lead a restructuring agenda, prioritizing the profitability of assets and deleveraging.

It is why myself and the whole team of executives are focusing on these issues this month and in the coming months. Just for you to have a history of the first months when I got to the company in 2023, I was focused in some points that we just mentioned in the last call, which is to reassess CapEx that was already ongoing in the year of 2023. So part of it already executed when I arrived, but part of it only budgeted for. Also take a look at SG&A of business units and corporate SG&A. The challenge of integrations that were to come in terms of more recent operations, and also assessing the real benefit of devoting time and energy in non-core assets. This is exactly what I carried out in the five months of last year and since the beginning of this year.

This restructuring agenda we know is not for the short term. Accomplishments, improvements are going to turn into numbers a long time. It is a journey. I think the positive point is that we start to see some numbers that already reflect this new dynamics, more discipline in several of the points that I mentioned. The first, as an example of this new journey, is the closing of the total CapEx of 2023 and the budget CapEx for 2024. After August, as I said, we revisited CapEx for 2023. The forecast was 43% lower than that of 2022 and in addition to that, it was also lower than budgeted. That is what we told you in the beginning of 2023. As we are going to elaborate later on, the idea is to follow the same rationale for our CapEx for the year of 2024.

Just beforehand, I want to give you the comfort that we spared no effort to invest the necessary CapEx in the operation and in the recovery of necessary assets. We are just having a clear focus on optimizing the investments made in recent years and we believe it's time to do that, monetize investments and extract better results from them all. Both operating assets and development of technology tools. Anyway, we're going to talk a bit about that further in the presentation. Secondly, I would like to draw your attention to a more in-depth dive in our SG&A. Our numbers are starting to show that we have a structure with more than 50,000 employees. The G&A revisiting is a long-term process. I'm happy that in the beginning of this journey, we're already starting to see good numbers.

Apart from any adjustment effects that André can elaborate more on further on. If we compare quarter-on-quarter, the last quarter 2023, we had a G&A 3% lower than 2022, and we had an increase in one-off BUs of 6% and in another 4% respectively. We are starting to address the issue of being more efficient in our processes and in discipline of allocating people. Still talking about people and efficiency, I think we had two notices in the last month about a change in the people and sales area that addressed this new journey very clearly. Fabio Jose, that led to human resources at a very sensitive time of the company during several acquisition M&As. He had beautiful work for us to have a very satisfactory organizational climate.

He is now turning the position to Major, a very efficient person that worked in several sectors, some with even tighter margins than the healthcare sector, and really wants to transform the people area into an area of performance, therefore supporting business units in their objectives. The idea again is to have more discipline and better dynamics for the allocation of people that are paying more attention to performance indicators. Major is here for that, and I think we already have some actions ongoing that show that it was a successful strategy. In parallel to that, and slightly different from what we did in the past, because I think the exponential growth the group had in the past shows clearly the commercial success of our challenges.

But thinking of future challenges, payers, revenue cycles, denials, average receiving times, definition of better products, where together with payers, we can come to solutions that decrease their problems with claims and also generate results. We had an important change in our internal structure. Our previous commercial VP is now focused completely on the company's Dasa Empresas. We believe that he really is going to make a wonderful work there. And Rogério, that was the person in charge of our hospital operations in Rio, a doctor by background, has lots of technical view on the provider journey. And with that, we can really improve the discussion with payers. No longer talking only about volumes and prices, but really have a more productive discussion to find solutions that enable us to extract values and payers to decrease their claims.

And finally, but certainly not less important, we are deeply revisiting assets, operations, and businesses that are either not directly connected to our course or hospitals and diagnosis or otherwise. And we have been working in a very disciplined manner for us not to focus our time, energy, and resources on activities that are not going to impact our core. I think for the sake of introduction, these were my main points. I'm coming back in the end of the call, but now I'm going to turn to André to give you a highlight on the results of the fourth quarter.

André Covre
CFO and Investor Relations Officer, Dasa

Good afternoon, everyone. It's a pleasure to be here with you today. Before I start, I would like to thank Glauco, our IR Director that is leaving the company together with Laiz that is staying with us. They both brought the company's IR level to a whole different level we had before. So publicly to analysts that are listening to us, I would like to thank Glauco that together with Laiz developed excellent work. I'm going to start with the results now. I would like just to tell you that during the fourth quarter of 2023, we had some one-off events and items that affected the company's total numbers.

Some related to the restructuring that Lício mentioned as our decision to discontinue the operation in Uruguay. All these one-off events and items are related to specific extemporaneous events that do not necessarily reflect Dasa's operational activity in the quarter. They are summarized on page five of our release, and for comparability purposes, they were excluded from the data of the presentation that we are making today.

So all data of this presentation exclude these events unless when otherwise indicated. Anyway, I'm going to start with slide three, talking about the highlights of the period. The quarter was marked by growth in revenue in both business units. As Lício mentioned, we were able to observe gains in the reduction of adjusted costs, which is a reflex of the initiatives of reviewing costs and organizational structure. The drop in adjusted EBITDA is basically due to the strong base of comparison and also the costs adjusted in hospitals and oncology, and also the exchange effect in the diagnosis operation of Argentina. Further on in the end, we are going to go back to costs in hospitals and oncology to talk about several restructuring strategies we are working with.

Another highlight that Lício mentioned was the reduction of investments, a result of the focus to capture investments that were made in recent years and cash generation. Finally, we closed the quarter with stable net debt compared to the Q3, with a longer amortization profile and a lower cost because of actions to optimize the capital structure that were implemented along the quarter. On slide four, we talk about the performance of our hospitals and oncology business, what we call BU1. In this quarter, we had growth of 13% in gross revenue compared to 4Q 2022, with gross revenue of approximately BRL 2 billion. This increase in revenue compared to last year has to do to a 4% growth in the volume of patients stay, and 9% growth in average tickets. Also contributed to this growth, four things. First, the 43% growth in oncology.

Second, occupancy rates 1.6 percentage points, reaching 76.3%, a reflex of our strategy to attract the medical teams who have a higher surgical volume. Third, annual contractual adjustments, and four, the increase in complex treatments. Again, a result of our strategy of having a better surgical mix. Adjusted gross profit dropped by 12% also due to four items. First, as I already mentioned, a strong comparison basis of 4Q 2022 with one of the best margins for the company ever, so very strong comparison base. Also the units of Barra and of Avaí that are still in ramp-up stage, and therefore we have most of the costs, but still without the counterpart in revenues. Also higher costs with personnel, materials, and medicines. Also influenced by the higher share of oncology and/or a disconnect between the cost inflation and contractual adjustments.

As I mentioned, we are going to come back to this issue at the end, talking about the reduction of margins, increase of costs, and what we want and are doing about that. Now, diagnosis and care coordination on slide five, we see gross revenue of the quarter reached BRL 1.7 billion, stable compared to the fourth quarter 2022. Excluding international operations whose revenue was strongly impacted by the exchange rate fluctuation in the Argentina operation, that is in a scenario of a hyperinflation, we would have growth of 8% compared to the fourth quarter 2022. Therefore, the growth of our activities in Brazil was 8%. The year-on-year comparison is basically due to a higher volume of exams, 5%, without an increase in the number of service units. In the international operation, the number was a lot higher, 85% growth.

Therefore, the impact we see in the result has mostly an accounting effect and does not reflect the local business. As for adjusted gross profit, we had a decrease of 3%. Again connected to the exchange rate fluctuation in Argentina. Apart from that, gross profit increased by 4% in the period, with growth in volumes partially offset by a one-off discount for a public sector client. Costs were in line with the fourth quarter 2022, reflecting the progress of initiatives to optimize our units, initiatives that continue for 2024. Now we are on slide six. We had a nominal reduction of 3% of our adjusted expenses compared to 4Q 2022, despite the increase in volume in operations and accumulated inflation in the last 12 months of approximately 5% according to the IPCA in Brazil.

This inflation reflects, as I mentioned, the reviewing of our processes, organization structure, prioritization of activities, and renegotiation of service contracts. Initiatives that are going to continue for 2024. On the right part of the slide, we show the evolution of our adjusted EBITDA, - 13% compared to the fourth quarter 2022. Again, this is a consequence of a stronger comparison base, higher oncology costs, and exchange rate effect of Argentina, as I mentioned. Excluding international operation, adjusted EBITDA had a decrease of 8%. On slide seven, we show the investments for the quarter and year 2023. Here we can see the sequential drop that Lício mentioned quarter- on- quarter. In the year, we had BRL 727 million, a reduction of 43% compared to 2022. If we look into 2024, you have an additional reduction of 22% compared to 2023. This is our budget for investments in 2024.

The decrease basically is threefold. First, decreasing investments in technology that were quite significant along recent years. The company is now focusing on investments that can guarantee maintenance of services and reduce the volumes invested in digital journeys. Second, a maintenance of existing assets, trying to extend their useful life and keep the level of service to our patients. Third, with regards to expansion projects, we are now looking into them, thinking of short-term returns. All that, again, to maximize cash generation. This reduction in investments is only possible because of the quality of investments that we made in the recent past and the company's focus on making them profitable. For 2024, we have high hopes that this is going to be exponential by the implementation of management and goal systems connected to metrics on the return on capital.

On my last slide, I show the capital structure of the company at the end of 2023. We closed the year with stable debt. Financial net debt is stable compared to the third quarter, with a longer amortization schedule and lower cost due to management actions implemented. In the fourth quarter, we issued our 20th debenture, whose funds were directed to pay up the 19th issuance that was a higher debt in the amount of BRL 1 million. With that, we closed our net debt at BRL 10.7 million, a reduction compared to September, and again, a consequence of the payment made. At the end of the company, our average term of debt had 3.9 years and CDI of 1.8%. In January, we had our issuance of BRL 7 billion in the 21st debenture, basically to resume and pay up the remaining balance of the 19th debenture.

With that, we went to an average term of debt in 4.4 million and CDI of 1.7%. In the amortization schedule on the slide, you can see that after the operations, the company has more than half of its maturity by the end of 2026. Leverage ended the period at 3.94%. In summary, I think this is what I had. I would like just to emphasize that we developed and evolved in some of our initiatives to restructure the company, but we still have a lot to do. That's why I'm turning the call back to Lício so that he can elaborate on the initiatives we are working with for 2024 in the company's restructuring process.

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Thanks, André. I'm back here on slide nine. Here you have an overview of the levers that we are to prioritize in the year of 2024. Here, I think the message is clear. Focus. We are a group focused on hospitals and diagnostics. Hospitals including oncology. Our time has to be fully devoted to that, and this is what we have been doing. We started the process to discontinue non-profitable operations, as André mentioned, the operation in Uruguay.

It starts to be one of the items in our portfolio, again, having a discipline to check things periodically to either turn around operations and make them profitable or remove them from our operation. We are taking out the priority of our home care. Home care was a product inside our portfolio, and you should think that home care and also care coordination involve a huge amount of people and allocation of time from the structure as a whole. With a share in our bottom line that is quite low.

We are clearly taking out priority of these two products. We are going to carry on with what we have, but it is no longer a priority in our strategy. Also the reassessment of non-synergistic operations. Many of you are asking us about this apparently non-synergistic operations, and basically we are looking into them, seeing which ones can become synergistic and/or strategic, and if not, removing them from our operations. Also, the way we look at our people, we are restructuring our people structure and aligning policies to the market. I think here we have a clear north in reducing higher article levels, have our leadership much more at the front end with an owner's attitude to reduce cost and deliver better quality services at the front end. In terms of market policies, I will give you an example of several work fronts that are being developed.

In the end of last year, we had a deep review on our health plan benefit, and the change we made in adjusting products without any impact to our employees, patients, and users. If we had done that by the end of 2022, it would have generated an impact of around BRL 70 million in 2023. But we did that at the turn of the year. The other work front is a deep restructuring of our admin centers. In São Paulo alone, we have 10 admin centers. We are already returning five of them, and we continue to look into that, and in the next quarters, we are going to bring you results on that. On the next slide number 10, I am going to try to give you a bit more details on our business units. In hospitals, we are reviewing each of our hospital specialties.

For you that are very knowledgeable about the sector, the less moves in terms of payers and provider networks make very clear that the provider network will have to work more and more on specialties. That makes it easier for us to have increased volumes of a certain procedure, a better dialogue with surgical clinical teams, and also a better dialogue with the whole of the chain for the negotiation of inputs. Also facilitates communication with payers because you can deliver a more standardized model with a lesser cost. We are working with exchanges between hospitals. Hospitals in the past were almost independent units that worked completely in separate. Now we are working with the specialties and are reinforcing that, regardless of the hospital you are, the city you are, you can always be geared to other hospital units.

Also precise leadership, having a lighter structure along the lines of what I mentioned in the previous slide. By doing that, we bring hospitals, units, and supplies areas closer together, as well as corporate maintenance. Just when we talk about the CapEx discussion, this discussion is also fruit of a deep reassessment of costs, maintenance/extension. Again, a whole new journey where you have leadership closer to the front end that will certainly reduce G&A. A realignment of contracts with payers. We have been working very close to payers, and I am more and more convinced that the process with payers, if it is clearer, if we have more bundles, you will have a better flow for your revenue cycle and substantial gains in discussion with surgical clinical teams, but also with the industry. Is strengthening the team responsible for standardization of materials and medicines.

I did mention that in the last call, and we continue working with that strongly. As I mentioned before, we already have loads of renegotiations in supply, and because of inventory levels and others, this is not something that you capture immediately after the renegotiation, but we are going to see that in quarters to come. Also resizing structures, units, less beds, again, related to the specialty of each hospital. Taking a look at the hospitals that are at a deficit, we know that some hospitals have very different results, and we have a work front together with hospitals to really focus on deficit units. Diagnosis, I would like to draw your attention to two actions that are quite important. First, an advance in the digitization of scheduling and services. This is a project that started back in 2022.

Lucchesi expedited that last year, but we still have a long journey to go. For you to have an idea, in the last quarter of last year, compared to the last quarter of 2022, showed a volume increase of 6%. At the time that we had a reduction in headcount in service units, also of 6%, keeping NPS levels, and I am very optimistic about that. When you think of the total number of services visits, we have about 30% enjoying the improvement in technology and a better user journey. So we still have a lot to do in 2024 that will certainly enable us to have gains in scale, even expanding volumes.

Then centralize and reduce the number of operational technical teams, what we call the NTOs. We are starting with 26, and the idea is to end 2024 with 21. These NTOs are already being discontinued. This is going to happen along the year. But even with this discontinuation, we have improvements in terms of results. So we are gaining economies of scale and better quality care at the front end. Well, with that, we get to the end of the presentation, and we are going to open for your questions.

Operator

We will now start the Q&A session for analysts and investors. If you have a question, please press raise hand. If your question is answered, you can leave the queue by lowering your hand. If you want to ask a question in writing, please enter your question on the Q&A field, and don't forget to give your name and company. Our first question comes from Felipe Amancio from Itaú BBA. Felipe.

Felipe Amancio
Analyst, Itaú BBA

Good afternoon. Thanks for taking my questions. I have two questions on my side. The first is that in the quarter, we saw an impact that you highlighted in the release comes from the review of the statistic movement of the denial review. If you could give us some color about how it was in the past, what it is like now, and if we should consider this a recurring level for the company, or if it was more of a one-off event. Second question, if possible, I would like to have an update for the inorganic deleveraging of the company. We have been following several news that the company may be interested in selling assets in diagnostics or hospitals, and we would like to hear your mindset on this strategy.

André Covre
CFO and Investor Relations Officer, Dasa

Thank you very much. Hello, Felipe. Thanks for asking your question. This is André speaking. I am going to answer your first question, and then I am going to ask Lício to answer the second question. Talking about denials. When I joined the company and encouraged by two reasons, I proposed that we took a better look into that. First, the operational context of a higher volume of denials happening not only in the company but in the whole of the industry. Just following the release of other hospital companies.

Second, the company this year was able to develop a database that enabled us to have a history of denials that was much better than in the past. Together with these two things, we had the statistical understanding of the right level of denials for this point in the market with a better technical statistic support, because the database is today a lot more extensive than what it was in the past. That was what generated the process. Of course, the entries of December do not refer to the quarter. It is just to adjust the denial balance. If we take a look at denials compared to gross revenues, we are talking about 3%. This is not a driver. This is the output. But it seems to me that it is a common number in the market. I am going to turn to Lício to talk about deleverage.

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Felipe, thanks for your question. Okay. I think that using your question itself, that the market has been talking about our assets and possible sales, even without us giving any guidance on that, well, this is just proof of the quality of our assets. I think at Dasa, we have a combination of a series of assets that together are very good, but individually are also very good. Several players in the market would like to have them. Probably because of this, or as a consequence of that, there is a lot of hearsay and speculation in the market.

Information that really does not come from us. In parallel to that, and I think that along the 40 minutes that we have been in this call, this is clear, we really are very optimistic about the company improving its performance. We have some levers more in the longer term, others in the shorter term, and some that really are going to be able to reap the longer-hanging fruit and give more profitability to the company. Differently from other healthcare companies, we have a controller partner that has been in the industry for decades and deeply understands the industry, and is positioned in a very clear way that does not want to leave the industry, and is giving all guarantees that Dasa will continue to have the necessary support from the controller shareholder as it needs it.

To be quite straightforward in the answer, I think my mission and that of my colleagues is to work hard on company performance, being aware that when we look at the quality of assets, the potential improvement in performance and the positioning and availability of the controller shareholder, our leverage should not be a reason for concern as it has been even in speculations from the different outlets. I hope I have answered your question, Felipe.

Felipe Amancio
Analyst, Itaú BBA

Yes. Very clear, and thank you very much for your answers.

Operator

Our next question comes from Leandro Bastos from Citi. Mr. Bastos.

Leandro Bastos
Analyst, Citi

Hello, everyone. I have two questions. The first is that you went through several initiatives you were working on. If you could, in your view, share with us which are the quick wins that can bring more efficiency and profitability for the business in the beginning of the year. So, just a bit more color for us to perhaps tell the initiatives apart. This is the first question. The second question, based on what Lício mentioned about payers, I would like to know the temperature of your talks with payers. We know the sector is going through different challenges, but how do you think the cycle of billing and working capital is going to work throughout 2024?

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Okay, Leandro. Thanks for your questions. Well, the first, I think several of the initiatives we mentioned in the presentation do have effects in the short, mid, and long term. For instance, when we talk about revisiting our workforce and incentive policies, there are things that are captured immediately, and there are things that are captured in the medium term. When we talk about negotiation of materials and inputs, we have a more later effect because of inventory levels.

But as we complete new negotiations, we start to see results. I think this is another point that we are very optimistic about. When we see the whole of opportunities, we are not a group that is focused on two, three single solutions. That is, I either implement this or I won't have better performance. We are talking about a huge myriad of options that are worked on as fast as possible, respecting implementation times.

As for your second question, payers, I'm going to include another point that makes me very optimistic when I think of Dasa as a provider, which is our low dependence on a single payer. I think if you consider the large provider groups, we are certainly the group that is most fragmented in terms of payers, which lead us in a privileged position in terms of risk. Specifically talking about the largest, our commercial position of having someone ahead of the area that has a more technical profile, us revisiting bundles and protocols addresses the needs of payers, especially with regards to hospitals.

We also continue to believe that in diagnostics, we have a unique footprint, and that really makes a difference for those that have our products and certainly drive sales. Being very direct, we have to work deep to offer solutions of quality to payers, reducing costs and keeping our margins. I think I have answered your questions.

Leandro Bastos
Analyst, Citi

You certainly did, Lício. Thank you very much.

Operator

Our next question comes from Mauricio Cepeda from Morgan Stanley. You may go on.

Mauricio Cepeda
Analyst, Morgan Stanley

Lício, André, thanks for taking my questions. I have two as well. A bit more discussing the operating performance of your business units. The first question, about diagnostics. We see that Fleury has had strong growth in volume and you, on the other hand, using the words you used, the footprint, you have a very diversified portfolio, a nationwide presence in the country. My question is, what is missing? What could help you to really resume growth close to Fleury levels? Just because of your size and the capacity that you have in gaining market share.

The second question, hospitals. In the release, you talked about the disconnect between adjustment of tickets and growth in costs. How do you view in terms of balancing our contracts for the future? We know payers are pressuring. Are you comfortable with the stronger commercial adjustments, perhaps even higher than inflation?

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Hi, Mauricio. Thanks for your question. I am going to turn to Lucchesi to help us out with the answer on the growth in volume. But I think I have good news. I am going to let him speak.

Rafael Lucchesi
General Director of Diagnostics, Dasa

Hello, Cepeda. Thanks for the question. Let me talk a bit about growth. We have several impacts to understand growth. We have international issues this quarter that brought revenue down. With our exchange offset, we have negative revenues that really bring our results down. But in Brazil, we grew 8% in the quarter. Compared to the market, I think we are even higher than the market this quarter, because we know it was a quarter of deceleration.

In the year, we grew more, and when we remove the exchange rate effect and the COVID effect, we had growth of 14% in revenue in the year, which is also very good with gains in market share in important cities and segments. Mentioning the growth levers we are talking about, we are growing a lot in the premium segment, and we continue to do so, even accelerating our annual growth. Also, growth of more than two digits in individuals, which is our source of revenue that comes from OP services that do not depend on payers.

Mobile services that grew more than 30% in the quarter, and also an important gain of market share in B2B in the last quarter when we put together the DIASC, which is hospitals diagnostics, with lead to lead. All these fronts continue to be a priority for the coming year. Once again, we have this important footprint, but also nationwide initiatives that pull our results up. Even with a lesser level of CapEx for 2024, we have assets and capability to continue growing strong and above market levels. Thanks for your question.

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

Mauricio, just to answer your second question, the disconnect between costs and the negotiation with payers. This is a fact for 2024. I think that we have to take into consideration that payers came from a year where they rearranged their prices, and they will continue to do so. On our side, having a better mix, a surgical mix, discussing bundles, standardization, address that. Our negotiation is having quality revenue rather than having just an exaggerated growth in revenue. That has been the constant pitch before payers, and I continue quite confident that we can offer good services following the same rationale of payers, which is a balance between quality and cost. We are working on that, and we believe there is a huge avenue for us to follow during 2024. Very clear.

Mauricio Cepeda
Analyst, Morgan Stanley

Thank you very much. Lício, Lucchesi.

Operator

Our next question comes from Emerson Vieira from Goldman Sachs. Mr. Vieira.

Emerson Vieira
Analyst, Goldman Sachs

Good afternoon, Lício, André, other officers. Thanks for taking my questions. I have two questions on receivables and if you allow me, I am going to ask you on covenants. In the short term, we are hearing from some providers that the scenario of receivables would only improve as of the third quarter of 2024, when you have the new cycle of adjustments from payers. Do you agree with that? Is that your view? That is, should we expect an improvement in receivables just for the second half of 2024? First question.

Second question, about the advance of receivables. We saw this quarter you advanced about BRL 45 million, which is a level below what we saw in previous quarters. So I would like to understand if it was a decision of the company or if you are having any difficulty or an increased cost in advancing expenses. Third, covenants. Are you working to renegotiating your covenants given the fact that in the fourth quarter they were very close to the 4x net debt to EBITDA ratio? Thank you.

André Covre
CFO and Investor Relations Officer, Dasa

Well, Emerson, this is André. About receivables, what happened to us was the following. In our numbers, by the end of the third quarter 2023, we had 104 days of receivables. I am adding back the advances just for you to have a gross balance. We closed the fourth quarter, in December, with 108 days, so four days more than September. Basically, two, three specific situations with large players that were solved in January. So this is the trend that we saw from the third to fourth quarter. As for the advance of receivables, the numbers that we have in our financial statements is that in the end of December, we had an advance of BRL 455 million with a financial institution and BRL 122 million in credit cards. Basically, this is the level of the third quarter. So again, no sign of any difficulties that you referred to.

As for covenants, our focus is not on renegotiation. Our focus is to reducing indebtedness. That is where we are investing our efforts, both in terms of improving performance that is organic improvement, but also reassessing any possibility that enables us to reduce our indebtedness level. Always with support of our controller shareholder, as Lício mentioned.

Emerson Vieira
Analyst, Goldman Sachs

Very clear. Thank you very much.

Operator

The Q&A session is now closed. We are going to turn the call back to the company CEO for the final considerations. For the final remarks, I am sorry.

Lício Cintra
CEO, Dasa

I would just like to thank you all for joining us and perhaps the takeaway message. I would like to go back to the very first question, which summarizes the moment we are going through. Dasa has a controller shareholder that is knowledgeable about the industry and has the capacities to support company needs. It has assets that can improve its performance and assets that isolatedly are very appealing to the other players in the market. We continue quite motivated and confident that the balance of these three things will make Dasa have a much better journey for 2024. I thank you very much for you joining us today and would like to wish you all happy Easter.

Operator

Dasa's video conference is now closed. We thank you very much for attending and wish you a good afternoon.