DRL stock falls 10% after missing Q1 estimates, probe by US SEC

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 570.8 crore in the first quarter of FY22, a 1.5 per cent dip on a year-on-year basis (YoY), while revenue from operations grew by 11.4 per cent to Rs 4,919.4 crore during the quarter.
 
Dr Reddy’s said it had received a subpoena (written order to attend court to give evidence) from the American market regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for producing documents concerning the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) geographies.
 
The stock fell 10.4 per cent to Rs 4,844.35 (hitting the lower circuit) on Tuesday after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly earnings for Q1FY22 and the US market regulator’s subpoena on documents for CIS geographies.

Kunal Randeria of Edelweiss Securities said the disappointing numbers, the big margin miss, and the subpoena by the US SEC following an investigation into practices in Ukraine were the reasons behind the stock fall.
 
“The company has commenced a detailed investigation into an anonymous complaint. The complaint alleges that healthcare professionals in Ukraine and potentially in other countries were provided with improper payments by or on behalf of the Company in violation of US anti-corruption laws, specifically the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. A US law firm is conducting the investigation at the instruction of a committee of the company’s board of directors,” it said in the exchange filing.“The financial performance of the quarter has been driven by healthy sales growth,” said G V Prasad, co-chairman and MD.