The domestic markets are expected to open flat to negative tracking negative opening in most of the Asian markets. Indian markets rose on Thursday, with the Nifty index hitting a 27-week high, as optimism that Greek leaders are nearing an agreement on austerity measures, that could secure them a new €130bn bailout from the EU and the IMF, easing some of the concerns about the nation's ongoing going debt crisis.
Globally, U.S. stocks closed in green yesterday mainly on the back of positive news about Greece as well as some upbeat U.S. jobs data. The U.S. Labor Department reported that the initial jobless claims for U.S. fell to 358,000 in the week ended February 4th from the previous week's revised figure of 373,000. Indian investors, meanwhile, would keenly watch out for the domestic industrial production growth (Bloomberg estimate – 2.6%) for the month of December due to be released today. Also, consumer sentiment and trade balance data of the U.S. will be on radar.
Markets Today
The trend deciding level for the day is 17,773 / 5,392 levels. If Nifty trades above this level during the first half-an-hour of trade then we may witness a further rally up to 17,937 – 18,043 / 5,444 – 5,476 levels. However, if Nifty trades below 17,773 / 5,392 levels for the first half-an-hour of trade then it may correct up to 17,667 – 17,503 / 5,360 – 5,307 levels.
3QFY2012 - Result Reviews
Tata Steel
For 3QFY2012, Tata Steel reported net loss on a consolidated basis due to weak performance from its European and Southeast Asian operations. Consolidated net sales increased by 13.8% yoy to Rs.33,103cr, above our estimate of Rs.30,992cr, mainly on account of increased average realizations in rupee terms. Standalone net sales increased by 12.3% yoy to Rs.8,305cr. Consolidated sales volumes stood at 5.8mn tonnes in 3QFY2012 compared to 5.9mn tonnes in 3QFY2011. Average realization/tonne decreased by 3.4% and 0.6% to US$975 and US$1,149 in Tata Steel India and Tata Steel Europe operations, respectively. However, EBITDA/tonne decreased by 7.1% and US$303 in Tata Steel India. EBITDA/tonne of Tata Steel Europe operations stood at US$(1) compared to US$25 in 3QFY2011 on account of higher raw-material costs. India operations EBITDA decreased by 9.5% yoy to Rs.2,553cr. European operations reported EBITDA of US$(147)mn and Southeast Asian operations reported EBITDA of US$(2)mn during the quarter. Consequently, consolidated EBITDA decreased by 49.9% yoy to Rs.1,717cr. Hence, Tata Steel reported net loss of Rs.603cr in 3QFY2012 compared to adjusted PAT of Rs.1,125cr in 3QFY2011. The company’s net debt has increased to US$9.5bn as on December 31, 2011, compared to US$8.5bn as on September 30, 2011. Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur 2.9mn tonnes brownfield expansion project remains on track to be completed during 4QFY2012. We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock, while we keep our target price under review.
Hindalco
Hindalco’s standalone 3QFY2012 top line was above our estimate, while its bottom line was slightly below our expectation. The company’s net sales increased by 11.4% yoy to Rs.6,590cr (above our estimate of Rs.5,909cr) mainly on account of higher volumes in the aluminium and copper segments. In the aluminium segment, alumina, aluminium, wire rods and flat products production increased by 7.1%, 7.8%, 6.7% and 20.4% yoy to 343k, 146k, 25k and 56k, respectively. In the copper segment, copper cathode and CC rods production grew by 9.4% and 42.3% yoy to 88k and 38k, respectively. However, the aluminium segment’s EBIT decreased by 33.4% yoy to Rs.310cr due to increased input costs (mainly coal and crude derivatives). Nevertheless, the copper segment’s EBIT rose by 51.1% yoy to Rs.216cr due to higher treatment and refining charges and by-product credits. Overall, Hindalco’s EBITDA decreased by 3.3% yoy to Rs.716cr and EBITDA margin slipped by 165bp yoy to 10.9% during 3QFY2012. Interest expenses grew by 53.8% yoy to Rs.79cr and other income grew by 48.6% yoy to Rs.90cr. Consequently, net profit decreased by only 1.9% yoy to Rs.452cr (below our estimate of Rs.480cr). The company reported that all its expansion plans are on track. The stock is under review currently.
Ambuja Cements
During 4QCY2011, Ambuja Cements’ standalone top line increased strongly by 30.2% yoy to Rs.2,329cr on account of 17.5% yoy improvement in realization to Rs.4,197/tonne and a 10.8% yoy increase in volumes to 5.55mn tonnes. OPM declined by 60bp yoy to 19.1% on account of higher raw-material costs, power and fuel costs and freight costs. On the bottom-line front, net profit for the quarter rose by 17% yoy to Rs.302cr, aided by better operating performance, 72.2% yoy growth in other income to Rs.65cr and 53% saving in interest expense to Rs.10cr. Reported net profit was lower by Rs.33cr on account of an exceptional item relating to change in accounting method for stock options, adjusting for which net profit would have grown by 30% yoy. We continue to remain Neutral on the stock.
ACC
ACC posted 27.8% yoy growth in its standalone net sales to Rs.2,503cr on account of 17.8% growth in sales volumes and 20.3% higher realization. The company’s sales volumes for the quarter stood at 5.95mn tonnes, up 6.3% yoy, on account of higher capacity (on a yoy basis) operational at Wadi and Chanda during the quarter. Further, realization stood higher by 20.3% yoy to Rs.4,206/tonne. Despite the substantial yoy improvement in realization, OPM rose only marginally by 100bp due to the surge in operating costs. The company’s net profit rose by 83.8% yoy to Rs.470cr. The company’s profit was boosted by tax credit of Rs.228cr during the quarter (vs. 82cr in 4QCY2010), adjusted for which profit would have been at Rs.242cr higher by 39.3% yoy. We remain Neutral on the stock.
Apollo Tyres
Apollo Tyres (APTY) registered robust results for 3QFY2012 with consolidated top line posting better-than-expected 36.3% yoy (12.4% qoq) growth to Rs.3,228cr, aided by an 18.2% yoy (8.3% qoq) jump in volumes and 15.3% yoy (3.8% qoq) increase in net average realization. Domestic, Europe and South Africa revenue grew strongly by 46.2%, 26.3% and 27.9% yoy, respectively. Operating margin expanded by 202bp qoq to 10%, mainly due to 100bp savings on the raw-material front. As a result, adjusted net profit grew by 63.8% qoq to Rs.127cr. However, on a yoy basis, adjusted net profit reported modest 5.8% yoy growth, largely due to contraction in operating margin and higher interest expense (up 38.2% to Rs.73cr). During the quarter, APTY made a provision of Rs.29cr in relation to a penalty following settlement agreement with South Africa Competition Commission for the company’s operations in South Africa. At Rs.76, the stock is trading at 6.8x its FY2013E earnings. We retain our Buy recommendation on the stock; however, the target price is under review. We shall release a detailed result note soon.
MRF – 1QSY2012
MRF reported top-line growth of 32.7% yoy to Rs.3,138cr in 1QSY2012 from Rs.2,367cr in 1QSY2011. The company’s EBITDA margin came in at 9.0%, 174bp higher on a qoq basis, on account of a decrease in overall expenses as a percentage of sales. On the profitability front, MRF reported an increase of 9.7% yoy, from Rs.103cr to Rs.113cr. We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock with a target price at Rs.9,647, based on a target PE of 8x its SY2013E earnings.
Page Industries
Page Industries announced its 3QFY2012 numbers. The company’s net sales increased by 28.4% yoy to Rs.172cr (Rs.134cr). EBITDA improved only by 6.3% yoy to Rs.30cr (Rs.28cr), despite higher revenue growth due to margin compression. EBITDA margin declined by 356bp yoy to 17.2% (20.7%), mainly due to higher raw-material cost, which increased to 51.2% of net sales in 3QFY2012 vs. 48.3% of net sales in 3QFY2011. Despite lower growth in EBITDA, PAT increased by 27.6% yoy to Rs.20cr (Rs.16cr), in-line with top-line growth on the back of higher other income, which increased by 78.2% to Rs.4cr and lower tax rate, which came in at 31.5% in 3QFY2012 vs. 41.6% in 3QFY2011. PAT margin declined marginally by 7bp yoy to 11.6%. We will be coming out with a detailed report post management interaction. We continue to maintain our Neutral recommendation on the stock.
FAG Bearings - 4QCY2011
FAG Bearings (FAG) registered a strong performance in 4QCY2011, with betterthan- expected net sales growth of 31.4% yoy (4.8% qoq) to Rs.350cr against our expectation of Rs.310cr. EBITDA margin contracted by 150bp yoy (170bp qoq) to 18.1% mainly due to higher raw-material expenses. Raw-material cost increased primarily on the trading part of the business, which we believe could be due to the depreciation of INR against the Euro. Purchase of traded goods as a percentage of sales jumped substantially by 480bp yoy during the quarter. However, 380bp yoy savings in other expenditure arrested further fall in margins. Led by strong top-line performance net profit posted better-than-expected 27.3% yoy growth to Rs.43cr. We expect the company to sustain its strong performance going ahead, led by likely easing of interest rates from 1QFY2013, which is expected to revive demand in the automotive and industrial segment. We maintain our Buy view on the stock; however, our target price is under review.
Anant Raj
Anant Raj Industries announced its 3QFY2012 numbers. Net sales declined by 25.9% yoy to Rs.92cr (Rs.124cr), well below our estimate. EBITDA declined by 36.5% yoy to Rs.49cr (Rs.77cr) due to lower revenue and margin compression. EBITDA margin declined by 888bp yoy to 53.2% (62.1%). Adjusted PAT declined by 37.3% yoy to Rs.31cr (Rs.50cr) and PAT margin declined by 622bp yoy to 31.5% (50.3%), almost in-line with EBITDA margin contraction. We will be coming out with a detailed report post management interaction. We have an Accumulate rating on the stock with a target price of Rs.78.
HAIL – 4QCY2011
Honeywell announced its 4QCY2011 numbers. The top line grew by 21% qoq to Rs.503cr in 4QCY2011 from Rs.412cr in 4QCY2010. Annual sales for CY2011 stood at Rs.1619, 19% higher from CY2010. The company's margin came in at 9.1%, 259bp higher on a qoq basis, on account of a decrease in raw-material and employee cost as percentage of sales. Net profit for the quarter rose by 31.5% yoy, from Rs.25.7cr to Rs.33.9cr. Annual net profit stood at Rs.107cr, 6.7% higher yoy. We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock; our target price is under review.
Dishman Pharmaceutical
For 3QFY2012, Dishman Pharmaceutical posted net sales of Rs.265.5cr, registering 14.5% yoy growth. The company’s growth was driven by the MM segment, which reported 30.9% yoy growth. The CRAMS segment reported 6.9% yoy growth. The company’s OPM came in at 15.9%; however, adjusted for forex losses, it stood at 20.1%. The company reported higher tax expenses during the quarter. Consequently, net profit came in at Rs.16.7cr, lower than our expectation of Rs.19.8cr. However, given the traction in growth and improving profitability, we maintain our Buy rating on the stock; the target price is under review.
JK Tyre
JK Tyre (JKI) reported dismal set of results for 3QFY2012, posting net loss on the bottom-line front, led by higher interest expense and forex loss of Rs.38cr. For 3QFY2012, net sales grew strongly by 20.7% yoy (10.4% qoq) to Rs.1,423cr. Operating performance bounced back sequentially with EBITDA margin expanding by 297bp to 5.1%, driven by raw-material cost savings (100bp qoq) and decline in other expenditure (200bp qoq). JKI, however, posted net loss of Rs.21cr on account of an 87.8% yoy increase in interest expense to Rs.45cr and forex loss of Rs.38cr. The stock rating is currently under review.
3QFY2012 - Result Previews
DLF
DLF is expected to announce its 3QFY2012 results. We expect the company’s net sales to increase by 9.6% yoy to Rs.2,719cr. EBITDA margin is expected to contract by 377bp yoy to 43.7% on account of higher input costs. Net profit is expected to decline by 11.1% yoy to Rs.414cr. We maintain our Neutral rating on the stock.
RCom
Reliance Communication (RCom) is slated to announce its 3QFY2012 results. We expect the company to record revenue of Rs.4,968cr, up 3.7% qoq. Growth is expected primarily on the back of qoq flat ARPM at Rs.0.45/min and 1.0% qoq growth in MOU to 229min. EBITDA margin is expected to increase by 83bp qoq to 29.1%. PAT for the quarter is expected to come in at Rs.144cr. We maintain our Neutral view on the stock.
Britannia
Britannia is expected to announce its 3QFY2012 results. For the quarter, we expect Britannia to report healthy 18% yoy growth in revenue to Rs.1,271 due to improvement in sales mix. For the quarter, we expect the company to report an 11bp yoy margin improvement. Earnings for the quarter is expected to grow by 20% yoy to Rs.45cr on the back of healthy top-line growth. At the CMP, the stock is trading at 21.7 x F2013E EPS of Rs.22.5. We recommend Neutral on the stock.
Aurobindo Pharma
For 3QFY2012, Aurobindo Pharma is expected to post net sales of Rs.1,295cr, registering 20.8% yoy growth. The company is expected to post OPM of 12.1%, reporting a dip of 652bp yoy. Net profit is expected to come in at Rs.98.5cr, down 49% yoy. At the CMP, the stock is trading at 8.4x FY2013. We continue to maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock with a target price of Rs.166.
CCCL
Consolidated Construction Consortium (CCCL) is expected to post modest 8.0% yoy growth in its top line to Rs.535.9cr, given the slow-moving infra orders forming ~40% of its total order book. On the EBITDA front, we expect the company to continue to report a dismal performance and register a dip of 654bp yoy to 3.2%, in-line with management's guidance. Against this backdrop, the bottom line is expected to post loss of Rs.5.2cr in 3QFY2012 vs. profit of Rs.16.7cr in 3QFY2011. We continue to maintain our Neutral view on the stock.
Economic and Political News
- Current account deficit seen widening as exports struggle
- Government nods for JVs by defense PSUs
- Exports up 10.1%; Imports jump by 20.3% in January 2012
Corporate News
- Additional tax on diesel cars will further impede industry growth: M&M
- CEAT to set up Rs.250cr plant in Bangladesh
- Tata Global, PepsiCo JV eyes Rs.700cr turnover in the next five years
- Tulip Telecom CEO Sanjay Jain quits
- Unity Infraprojects bags orders worth Rs.485cr
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