Natco Pharma slips 8% on weak Q4 results; stock hits new low

The company's consolidated net profit more-than-halved at Rs 120 crore in March quarter against Rs 300 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Shares of Natco Pharma hit a new low of Rs 482, down 8 per cent on the BSE in early morning trade, after the company reported a decline in net profit for the second consecutive quarter, due to lower revenue growth.

The pharma company’s consolidated net profit more-than-halved at Rs 120 crore in March 2019 quarter (Q4FY19). It had posted a profit of Rs 300 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Operational revenue declined 41 per cent to Rs 456 crore against Rs 768 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal. Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and ammortisation) margin declined to 32.5 per cent from 49.9 per cent in the previous year quarter.

Brokerage firm Nirmal Bang Securities expected revenue of Rs 605 crore, net profit of Rs 210 crore and Ebitda margin 46 per cent for the quarter.

For the entire financial year 2018-19, Natco Pharma first time in many years, recorded a decline in consolidated revenue (down 4 per cent) and net profit (down 7 per cent).

The company said that although the revenue had been flat year-on-year, the marginal decline in profit was primarily due to write-off of Oseltamivir inventory by the company’s marketing partner in the USA. The flu-season in USA was weaker than expected resulting in the write-off of this inventory valued at approximately $ 5.5 million, it said.

Thus far in the calendar year 2019, the stock has underperformed the market, by falling 29 per cent, as compared to a 10 per cent rally in the S&P BSE Sensex.

At 10:38 am, Natco Pharma had erased its partial early morning losses and was trading 2 per cent lower at Rs 515, against a marginal 0.02 per cent decline in the benchmark index. A combined 597,923 shares have changed hands on the counter on the BSE and NSE so far.