Arun Firodia-promoted Kinetic Motors Company Ltd (KMCL), which is reeling under persistent losses over the last few years, has sold its business assets to automotives major Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) for a consideration of Rs 110 crore. Additionally, Kinetic Motors will get a 20 per cent equity in a new company which M&M will form to take over the assets. Kinetic Motors managing director Sulajja Firodia Motwani will be a nonexecutive director in the new company.
The media and markets had got the buzz about the proposed takeover some three months ago, though Motwani had dismissed it as “completely speculative”. A formal announcement from M&M on Wednesday morning however put all speculation to rest.
M&M said its board of directors gave the nod to the deal which will enable it to design and market a range of scooters, value-engineered motorcycles and high-end motorcycles for the Indian and global markets, helping it establish a robust, end-to-end two-wheeler business in every segment of the industry.
“The acquisition of the business assets of KMCL is a defining moment in the history of Mahindra as it will give us an opportunity to emerge as a full-range player with a presence in almost every segment of the automobile industry. KMCL is a strategic fit with our overall two-wheeler strategy. The strong in-house design and development competencies provided by Mahindra Engineering Services (MES) and the recent acquisition of Italy-based design house, Engines Engineering, coupled with KMCL’s expertise will enable us to assume a significant position in the rapidly growing Indian and global two-wheeler market,” said Anand Mahindra, vice-chairman and managing director, Mahindra Group.
Anoop Mathur, presidentdesignate for Mahindras’ twowheeler business, will spearhead this new venture.
“KMCL is a company with a rich heritage spanning more than three decades. Over the years, we have introduced several new concepts such as the Luna and India’s first gearless scooter which have revolutionized the two-wheeler industry. Hence, we are delighted to associate with Mahindra, another pioneering automobile company with a rich legacy which will add long term value to the business and take it to greater heights,” Motwani said.
Within the overall twowheeler strategy, scooters will form M&M’s entry point into the Indian market and will be an important part of the company’s overall two-wheeler product portfolio. There are several macro environmental trends which make the scooter market especially attractive to Mahindra. These include a younger, more affluent customer base with a significant number of empowered women and increased scooter demand in tier-2 cities and small towns. M&M is strongly positioned to cater to this demand, given the company’s significant presence and brand equity in these markets.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tata Motors Q1 net dips 30% on input costs and forex losses
Earning woes continue for the four-wheeler companies on the back of sluggish domestic market and high input costs. After Maruti and Mahindra, Tata Motors, India’s biggest automaker, on Wednesday reported a 30% drop in first quarter net profit as high raw material costs and foreign exchange losses dented earnings.
The company, that saw a low single-digit growth in sales volume in the period, said net profit in the April-June’08 quarter fell to Rs 326.1 crore from Rs 466.7 crore in the same period last fiscal, pulled down by “adverse extraneous factors.” “The profits for the quarter include a notional valuation loss of Rs 199.88 crore (compared to a gain of Rs 205.89 crore in the corresponding quarter last year) reflecting the volatility in foreign exchange rates impacting the company’s long-term funds raised through issue of Foreign Currency Convertible instruments,” Tata Motors said, while announcing the results in Mumbai. The rupee fell 6.8% against the dollar in the quarter after rising more than 12% in 2007. Tata Motors also said profit margins were further impacted in a challenging environment due to “abnormal” input material cost increases and general inflationary trends.
Importantly, the drop in profit came even as the company sold a 24% stake in its auto parts unit, Tata Auto-Comp Systems Ltd, and booked a profit of Rs 114 crore in the quarter, chief financial officer C Ramakrishnan said.
While Maruti’s first quarter net profit is down 6.7%, Mahindra saw a 16.8% drop, both impacted by high cost of inputs and exchange rate fluctuations. The company’s sales volume for the quarter (including exports) managed a 3.9% growth at 1.33 lakh units over 1.28 lakh units sold in the corresponding quarter last year.
The company, that saw a low single-digit growth in sales volume in the period, said net profit in the April-June’08 quarter fell to Rs 326.1 crore from Rs 466.7 crore in the same period last fiscal, pulled down by “adverse extraneous factors.” “The profits for the quarter include a notional valuation loss of Rs 199.88 crore (compared to a gain of Rs 205.89 crore in the corresponding quarter last year) reflecting the volatility in foreign exchange rates impacting the company’s long-term funds raised through issue of Foreign Currency Convertible instruments,” Tata Motors said, while announcing the results in Mumbai. The rupee fell 6.8% against the dollar in the quarter after rising more than 12% in 2007. Tata Motors also said profit margins were further impacted in a challenging environment due to “abnormal” input material cost increases and general inflationary trends.
Importantly, the drop in profit came even as the company sold a 24% stake in its auto parts unit, Tata Auto-Comp Systems Ltd, and booked a profit of Rs 114 crore in the quarter, chief financial officer C Ramakrishnan said.
While Maruti’s first quarter net profit is down 6.7%, Mahindra saw a 16.8% drop, both impacted by high cost of inputs and exchange rate fluctuations. The company’s sales volume for the quarter (including exports) managed a 3.9% growth at 1.33 lakh units over 1.28 lakh units sold in the corresponding quarter last year.
GMR Infra Q1 net drops by 41%
GMR Infrastructure Ltd has recorded 41.45 per cent drop in its net profit for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, at Rs 40.69 crore as against Rs 69.49 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. The company’s total income, however, has increased by 85 per cent at Rs 892.33 crore in the first quarter of the current year as against Rs 483.14 crore. Total expenditure during the quarter was at 72 per cent of the income, while it was at 70 per cent in the first quarter of the previous year.
Significant rise in the interest and other finance charges and losses on foreign exchange fluctuations are seen as two key reasons for the drop in net profit in the first quarter. While the interest and other finance charges increased to Rs 68.91 crore as against Rs 37.53 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, foreign exchange fluctuations have resulted in a loss of Rs 45.68 crore. The company, in the Q1 of the previous year, had made a profit of Rs 12.62 crore due to forex fluctuations.
Significant rise in the interest and other finance charges and losses on foreign exchange fluctuations are seen as two key reasons for the drop in net profit in the first quarter. While the interest and other finance charges increased to Rs 68.91 crore as against Rs 37.53 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, foreign exchange fluctuations have resulted in a loss of Rs 45.68 crore. The company, in the Q1 of the previous year, had made a profit of Rs 12.62 crore due to forex fluctuations.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
India Inc. sees red in RBI policy
Corporate India said the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) move to control inflation by making credit expensive will impact growth and future projects could be reviewed.
Tough times are ahead for corporates who are facing challenges from spiralling input costs, reduced demand growth and, now, higher interest rates. With hardening of lending rates, margins of corporates will get further squeezed.
Said DD Rathi, whole time director and CFO, Grasim Industries: “We may miss out on the golden opportunity of registering strong growth.”
Rathi said he hoped the industry would not have to see a repeat of the 1998 cycle when interest rates were at a peak of around 14%. While corporates across the board would feel the heat, those companies which are over-leveraged would be worst affected.
Companies which have already tied up finances, may be able to sale through the tough times. But, those projects which are yet to achieve financial closure, could be reviewed or suffer delays.
“Companies will have to take a tough call on such future projects with credit getting costlier. Interest rates have already gone up by 2.5-3%. These will go up further by another 0.5-1%. Foreign markets too are not an option for raising funds.
Probe into early release
of policy
RBI governor YV Reddy said the central bank was investigating how his final scheduled quarterly monetary policy announcement was sent to media 30 minutes before the official statement. “There were some unusual developments. The web manager said it went out erroneously. We are making further enquiries to take necessary corrective measures,” Reddy said. BLOOMBERG
Tough times are ahead for corporates who are facing challenges from spiralling input costs, reduced demand growth and, now, higher interest rates. With hardening of lending rates, margins of corporates will get further squeezed.
Said DD Rathi, whole time director and CFO, Grasim Industries: “We may miss out on the golden opportunity of registering strong growth.”
Rathi said he hoped the industry would not have to see a repeat of the 1998 cycle when interest rates were at a peak of around 14%. While corporates across the board would feel the heat, those companies which are over-leveraged would be worst affected.
Companies which have already tied up finances, may be able to sale through the tough times. But, those projects which are yet to achieve financial closure, could be reviewed or suffer delays.
“Companies will have to take a tough call on such future projects with credit getting costlier. Interest rates have already gone up by 2.5-3%. These will go up further by another 0.5-1%. Foreign markets too are not an option for raising funds.
Probe into early release
of policy
RBI governor YV Reddy said the central bank was investigating how his final scheduled quarterly monetary policy announcement was sent to media 30 minutes before the official statement. “There were some unusual developments. The web manager said it went out erroneously. We are making further enquiries to take necessary corrective measures,” Reddy said. BLOOMBERG
Banking, fin, realty worst hit
Tuesday’s RBI decisions to hike two key policy rates are expected to affect stocks of companies from sectors like banking & financial services, and real estate more than any other sector since these sectors are more vulnerable to higher interest rates than others. However, given that most stocks from these sectors are already badly hammered since their January highs, market players do not see much downside from current levels.
On Tuesday, while BSE’s Bankex ended down 8.3%, Realty Index lost 5.5%. And since the beginning of 2008, the banking index has lost a little over 46% and the real estate index 62%. Market players said with RBI’s more hawkish view to rein in inflation by tightening the supply of money, interest rates are expected to go up. In a higher interest rate scenario people borrow less from banks. In a higher interest rate scenario, banks also have to make higher provisions for their losses in their bonds portfolio which are marked-to-market. A note from Religare Securities said that banks like UBI, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank would be the most impacted on this account.
On Tuesday, while BSE’s Bankex ended down 8.3%, Realty Index lost 5.5%. And since the beginning of 2008, the banking index has lost a little over 46% and the real estate index 62%. Market players said with RBI’s more hawkish view to rein in inflation by tightening the supply of money, interest rates are expected to go up. In a higher interest rate scenario people borrow less from banks. In a higher interest rate scenario, banks also have to make higher provisions for their losses in their bonds portfolio which are marked-to-market. A note from Religare Securities said that banks like UBI, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank would be the most impacted on this account.
Dalal Street Bleeds On Monetary Policy
Dalal Street gave a thumbs down to the policy measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday that clearly looked at reining in inflation even at the cost of foregoing economic growth. Investors were also taken by surprise as the RBI hiked policy rates by more than the market was expecting. At the close of Tuesday’s session, BSE Sensex was 558 points off at 13,792. Investors were poorer by nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore with BSE’s market capitalization now at Rs 45.25 lakh crore.
On Tuesday, RBI hiked cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 25 basis points (100 basis points = 1%) to 9% and repo rate by 50 basis points, also to 9%, both at multi-year highs. CRR is the the percent of depositors’ money that banks must keep with the RBI as cash, and repo rate is the short-term rate at which the banks borrow from the RBI. Raising both these lead to higher cost of funds for commercial banks that in turn lead to higher interest rates in the economy.
Before the RBI decision came in during mid-session, market was trading lower with investors divided if the central bank would raise any of the policy rates. With the hike coming in surprisingly higher than expected, sensex suddenly dipped to an intra-day low at 13,727, only to recover marginally in late trades to finally settle 4.1% lower.
Brokers and dealers feel RBI’s stance, although expected to control runaway prices during the election year, could lead to some slow down in the economy. “Clearly inflation control remains the top priority and both CRR and repo-rate hikes seek to curb credit growth and correct the short-term debt yield curve,’’ said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, CEO, Reliance Money. “However the GDP growth would suffer as a consequence of this monetary tightening,’’ Bandyopadhyay added. A release from S&P-Crisil combine however termed the RBI move as a ‘short-term cost’ for ‘medium term benefits’.
Most market players are looking at further downside for the sensex with FIIs and domestic institutions (DFIs) both on the selling side of the market, a rare coincidence in recent times.
On Tuesday, RBI hiked cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 25 basis points (100 basis points = 1%) to 9% and repo rate by 50 basis points, also to 9%, both at multi-year highs. CRR is the the percent of depositors’ money that banks must keep with the RBI as cash, and repo rate is the short-term rate at which the banks borrow from the RBI. Raising both these lead to higher cost of funds for commercial banks that in turn lead to higher interest rates in the economy.
Before the RBI decision came in during mid-session, market was trading lower with investors divided if the central bank would raise any of the policy rates. With the hike coming in surprisingly higher than expected, sensex suddenly dipped to an intra-day low at 13,727, only to recover marginally in late trades to finally settle 4.1% lower.
Brokers and dealers feel RBI’s stance, although expected to control runaway prices during the election year, could lead to some slow down in the economy. “Clearly inflation control remains the top priority and both CRR and repo-rate hikes seek to curb credit growth and correct the short-term debt yield curve,’’ said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, CEO, Reliance Money. “However the GDP growth would suffer as a consequence of this monetary tightening,’’ Bandyopadhyay added. A release from S&P-Crisil combine however termed the RBI move as a ‘short-term cost’ for ‘medium term benefits’.
Most market players are looking at further downside for the sensex with FIIs and domestic institutions (DFIs) both on the selling side of the market, a rare coincidence in recent times.
Monday, July 28, 2008
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Profit booking in gold
- Gold traders shift focus to currencies
- Gold tumbled most in two months on dollar rise
- Silver also dropped along with Gold
- Gold slips 3% to $ 871/ounce
- Gold posts biggest drop since April 1st
- Gold had rallied to $ 1033/ounce between Sept 17 and March 17
- Traders say demand for Gold still high as a bet to hedge against inflation
CRR, repo rate hike likely: HSBC
Robert Wandesforde, senior economist, HSBC, said the credit policy review may see a 25 basis point hike in both the CRR and the repo rate.
"We are looking for 25 basis point hike - both in terms of CRR and the repo rate. We are looking for further increases beyond that in the following months."
"We are looking for 25 basis point hike - both in terms of CRR and the repo rate. We are looking for further increases beyond that in the following months."
Nikkei ends up 19pts
The Nikkei average edged up 0.1% on Monday as investors picked up recently battered trading companies such as Mitsui but the gains were held in check by a sharp fall in Advantest after its dismal results.
Honda Motor shares were also hit hard after the automaker cut its annual profit and global car sales forecasts as it battles with rising costs for raw materials and a crumbling US auto market.
In a trade-thin session, the market erased much of earlier gains as investors remained cautious before more earnings reports due in both the United States and Japan and a raft of important economic data.
The benchmark Nikkei ended up 19.02 points at 13,353.78 after rising as high as 13,468.94. The broader Topix rose 0.2% to 1,300.79.
Sensex ends up 74pts, L&T gains 4%
The Sensex opened on a flat note at 12,267, and dropped to a low of 14,219 in early deals. Buying in heavyweights like L&T, Reliance and ICICI Bank saw the index move up to a high of 14,421 in noon deals - an intra-day swing of over 200 points. The Sensex finally closed with a gain of 74 points (0.52%) at 14,349.
The BSE Oil & Gas and Capital Goods indices closed with gains of over 1% each. The BSE Metal Index was down over 1%. The market breadth was bullish - out of over 2,690 scrips traded, over 1,765 logged gains.
L&T gained nearly 4% at Rs 2,723. Tata Power moved up over 3% to Rs 1,052. ACC and ONGC were up over 3% each at Rs 593 and Rs 1,012, respectively.
Reliance added 1.5% at Rs 2,179. Ranbaxy, RCom, ICICI Bank, TCS and Wipro also closed with gains.
Sterlite declined over 3% to Rs 582. Tata Steel, Hindalco, M&M, SBI and Infosys also declined today.
L&T was the most active counter with a turnover of Rs 295 crore followed by Reliance (Rs 263 crore), Reliance Capital (Rs 197 crore), HDIL (Rs 189 crore) and RNRNL (Rs 161 crore).
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Industry Statistics
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Market share
Market share, in strategic management and marketing, is the percentage or proportion of the total available market or market segment that is being serviced by a company.
It can be expressed as a company's sales revenue (from that market) divided by the total sales revenue available in that market. It can also be expressed as a company's unit sales volume (in a market) divided by the total volume of units sold in that market.
It is generally necessary to commission market search (generally desk/secondary research, although sometimes primary research) to estimate the total market size and a company's market share.
Increasing market share is one of the most important objectives used in business. The main advantage of using market share is that it abstracts from industry-wide macroenvironmental variables such as the state of the economy, or changes in tax policy. According to the national environment, the respective share of different companies changes and hence this causes change in the share market values; the reason can be political ups and downs, any disaster, any happening or mis-happening.
Other objectives include return on investment (ROI), return on assets (ROA), and target rate of profit. Market share has the potential to increase profits as profit leads to more customers with a higher demand for a particular product.
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