Fertiliser shares in demand

Coromandel International, RCF,FACT, National Fertilisers, Deepak Fertilisers and Chambal Fertilisers are up 4-15% on BSE.

Shares of fertilizer companies have rallied by up to 15% in otherwise weak market on back of heavy volumes.

Coromandel International, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF), Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), National Fertilisers, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals, Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals and Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals are trading higher in the range of 4-15% on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.85% at 1310 hours.

RCF has surged 7% to Rs 53.90, extending its 37% rally in past one week on BSE, after reported 30% year on year increase in net profit at Rs 152 crore for the fourth quarter ended on March 31, despite decrease in income.

The stock opened at Rs 51.50 and hit a high of Rs 57.50 on BSE. The trading volumes on the counter surged over three-fold, with a combined 9.61 million shares changing hands till 1230 hours on NSE and BSE.

Coromandel International has gained nearly 9% to Rs 264, also its 52-week high on the BSE. The company has posted a near seven-fold jump in net profit for the fourth quarter (Q4) ended March 31, 2014, at Rs 81 crore as against a net of Rs 12 crore for the same period previous fiscal, mainly on extensive marketing of non-phosphate fertilisers and farm sector diversification coupled with the softening of international prices of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP).

Abhijit Akella analyst at IIFL Institutional Equities recommends ‘Buy’ rating on the stock with a revised target price of Rs 305 per share.

“We raise our target one-year forward P/E multiple on Coromandel’s shares to 12x (from 10x previously), considering the improvement in balance sheet, expected growth in earnings over FY14-16, improved industry environment and possibility of a more favourable policy environment under a new government,” analyst said in a report dated May 15 2014.

Among the other individual stocks, National Fertilisers has soared 15% to Rs 35.80, followed by Fact (11% Rs 28.20), Chambal Fertilisers (6% at Rs 51) and Deepak Fertilisers (5.5% at Rs 152).