M&M net profit beats forecasts, higher sales help

Net sales rise 12%, posts 23% growth in sales of passenger utility vehicles

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, India's biggest utility vehicle manufacturer, posted a 1.7% rise in net profit for the three months ended March, helped by higher sales.

It reported a marginal increase in its standalone net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2013 at Rs 889.19 crore.

The company had posted a standalone net profit of Rs 874.48 crore in the same period previous fiscal, Mahindra & Mahindra said in a filing to the BSE.

Standalone net income from operations during the period under review stood at Rs 10,486.53 crore as against Rs 9,380.84 crore in the year-ago quarter, the company said.

Net sales increased 12% to Rs 10,350 crore.

During the quarter, the company said it posted 23% growth in sales of passenger utility vehicles at 72,076 units, while it sold a total of 3,737 units of its sedan Verito.

Tractor sales were, however, down to 46,107 units as against 48,517 units in the year-ago period, the company said.

For the fiscal 2012-13, the company said its standalone net profit was at Rs 3,352.82 crore as compared to Rs 2,878.89 crore in 2011-12.

M&M said its net income from operations during FY13 stood at Rs 40,441.16 crore as against Rs 31,847.19 crore in the previous fiscal.

The company said its board has recommended 250% dividend of Rs 12.50 per share and a special 10% dividend of 50 paisa per share of face value Rs 5, aggregating Rs 13 per share totalling an outgo of Rs 891.15 crore.

Commenting on the outlook, the company said the additional 3% excise duty imposed on SUVs may affect margins going forward.

"Also the auto industry is witnessing a general slowdown, which again calls for some caution in future," M&M said.

Shares of M&M were trading at Rs 1,003.00 per scrip on the afternoon trade, up 4.45% from the previous close on the BSE.