Price hikes neutralised material price increase – Berger Paints
Update on the Indian Equity Market:
On Wednesday, Indian stocks recovered from sharp declines and closed the session almost unchanged. The Nifty50 ended marginally higher at 16,282 led by TATASTEEL (+4.0%), JSWSTEEL (+3.5%), and IOC (+2.5%). SHREECEM (-2.1%), KOTAKBANK (-1.9%), and SUNPHARMA (-1.8%) led the laggards. Among the sectoral indices, METAL (+3.1%), OIL & GAS (+1.2%), and PSU BANK (+0.5%) led the gainers. PHARMA (-1.5%), PRIVATE BANK (-0.7%), and BANK (-0.6%) led the laggards.
Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Abhijit Roy, MD & CEO, Berger Paints (BERGEPAINT) with Economic Times on 10th August 2021:
- April and May months were impacted due to the lockdown restrictions. In June and July, demand bounced back to normal. Demand is likely to remain strong in the subsequent months.
- The Company has taken price hikes in the water-based paints which contribute to a bulk of their sales. This hike neutralised the entire raw material price increase. In solvent-based enamel paints, they are yet to pass on the entire price increase. In industrial paints, negotiations are ongoing and expected to be finalised soon.
- Some erosion in terms of gross margin is expected to be made up by cost savings and BERGEPAINT expects to retain the current level of margins.
- The price increase is about 5-6%, taken in stages. Despite the discretionary nature of their products, demand hasn’t really been affected.
- The revenue from new construction projects declined in FY21. With the easing of restrictions, there has been a surge in new construction projects. New construction projects and repainting are contributing to overall growth in the business.
- The inventory levels are low at the company level. With every price increase, there was an increase in dealer-level inventory.
- BERGEPAINT has always welcomed competition. The company has its own strengths and built its own network over time. Brand building takes a long time in the paints category, and BERGEPAINT continues to maintain its market share.
Asset Multiplier Comments
- BERGEPAINT 1QFY22 results beat street estimates as the impact of lockdowns was not as severe as anticipated. Most companies have been bearing the brunt of higher crude oil prices. BERGEPAINT was no exception and reported margins were lower sequentially.
- Though near-term headwinds remain due to higher raw material prices, we believe BERGEPAINT to benefit from rising distribution reach, a strong presence in urban markets, and calibrated pricing.
Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)
- The closing price of BERGEPAINT was ₹ 820/- as on 11-August-2021. It traded at 88x/ 71x/ 59x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 9.3/11.5/13.8 for FY22E/ 23E/ 24E.
- The consensus target price of ₹ 696/- implies a PE multiple of 50x on FY24E EPS of ₹ 13.8/-.
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