Muted India Inc growth expected, but may not hurt margins: Crisil

The ongoing slowdown in India Inc growth will result in a muted revenue growth of around 11-13 per cent for companies during third quarter, but India Inc will be able to protect margins, ratings agency Crisil said today.

About 17 of the 28 key sectors, excluding banks and oil and gas, are expected to either post a negative or low single digit growth during the October-December quarter, it said, adding that overall revenue growth will be 11-13 per cent.

Automobiles, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), capital goods and metals will be the sectors facing headwinds on the revenue expansion front in Q3, it said.

Weak consumer demand will affect two-wheelers, retail, textiles and housing, while a dip in travel will hurt hotels and airlines, and investment-linked sectors like capital goods, steel and cement will witness volume pressure due execution delays in power, construction and infrastructure sectors, Crisil said.

Listed companies are expected to start reporting their quarterly numbers for the October-December period starting next week. The economy grew at slower-than-expected 5.3 per cent during the second quarter and many watchers, including the Reserve Bank, have downwardly revised their full fiscal growth forecasts.

Companies will be able to expand margins by up to 0.30 percent during the quarter due to many factors, it said.

"EBITDA margins will be supported by increasing realisations and softening prices of commodities such as coal, rubber and cotton," Crisil Research president Mukesh Agarwal said in a report, adding that cost controls by corporates will also help.

Crisil senior director Prasad Koparkar said lower input costs will help power generation, textiles and tyre sectors post higher margins during the quarter while export-oriented companies will witness their margins come under pressure as the help from rupee depreciation wanes off.

It also warned that the margin expansion on the back of jump in realisations, rupee depreciation and cost control is "not sustainable" and volume growth is a pre erquisite for a growth in profitability in the future.

... contd.

ALSO READ

SC annuls Orissa HC order on iron ore licence to Posco

Reliance Communications Q4 net profit down over 8% in quarter

Diesel price hiked by Re 1 per litre, get ready to pay more for the drive

Outsourcing business in India in danger after $45 mn global ATM fraud hits MasterCard