PFC Q4 net profit jumps over two-and-a-half times to Rs 2,117 cr

State-owned Power Finance Corporation's (PFC) standalone net profit has risen over two-and-a-half times to Rs 2,117.56 crore in the March quarter, mainly due to higher revenues.

Its standalone net profit was Rs 796 crore in the quarter ended on March 31, 2018, the company said in a BSE filing.

The firm's total standalone income increased to Rs 7,702.64 crore in the March quarter, from Rs 6,254.96 crore a year ago.

In the full financial year 2018-19, PFC's standalone net profit stood at Rs 6,952.92 crore, compared to Rs 4,386.76 crore a year ago. Total standalone income also improved to Rs 28,851.29 crore during the year, against Rs 25,980.25 crore in 2017-18.

The company's consolidated net profit in 2018-19 was Rs 12,640.27 crore at the end of 2018-19, compared with Rs 8,796.69 crore in the previous fiscal. Total consolidated income rose to Rs 54,156.83 crore, from Rs 48,645.42 crore in 2017-18.

During the fourth quarter ended March, PFC had completed the acquisition of state-run REC Ltd. Thus, the firm's consolidated loan asset book after the acquisition stood at Rs 5,95,877 crore, while the net worth is Rs 63,484 crore.

The consolidated financial numbers showed that PFC is the country's largest player in power sector funding.

Besides, it is India's second-highest profit-making financial organisation after HDFC Bank. It is also third-highest profit-making public sector undertaking on the consolidated basis.

PFC's loan asset book on the standalone basis crossed the Rs 3-lakh mark. The loan asset book grew at a steady rate of 13 per cent.

As regards loan asset composition in 2018-19, 28 per cent is transmission and distribution in the power sector portfolio as compared to 24 per cent in 2017-18.

Going forward also, the PFC would continue with its efforts to diversify the loan book, it added.

The company's interest spreads have also increased by about 24 basis points to 2.67 per cent in 2018-19, from 2.43 per cent in 2017-18. Interest spread is the difference between the interest rates for borrowing and lending.