Pharmaceuticals

Expect Rs 35bn topline in FY22 – Wockhardt

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

The Indian indices started the week on a negative note dragged by selling in financials and auto stocks. Nifty closed at 15,824 (-0.2%), dragged by JSWSTEEL (-1.8%), WIPRO (-1.5%), and RELIANCE (-1.5%), The top gainers on the index were SBILIFE (+4.0%), BAJAJFINSV (2.4%), and HINDALCO (+1.9%). Among the sectoral indices, METAL (+0.6%), PHARMA (+0.4%), and MEDIA (+0.3%) led the gainers. REALTY (-1.0%), PSU BANK (-0.8%), and AUTO (-0.6%) were the laggards.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman, Wockhardt with CNBC TV-18 on 26 July 2021:

  • Wockhardt recently posted 1QFY22 earnings. The Company reported a consolidated net loss of ~ Rs 66mn vs a net profit of ~Rs 7598mn in 1QFY21.
  • The India business has grown due to its strategy of divesting the acute portfolio vs the chronic portfolio. With a presence in the therapy areas like diabetes, nephrology, and neurosciences. The differentiated strategy for diabetes- affordability, accessibility, and availability has helped them. On a QoQ basis, India business revenue improved from ~Rs 1,200mn to ~Rs 1,520mn.
  • There was a YoY growth of 69% in the UK business, and it’s a sustainable business. The UK government is manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine at the UK plant of Wockhardt. The vaccine business is expected to be sustainable for the next 1 year and this fill-and-finish business is a highly profitable one.
  • The Company’s UK plant received a visit from the UK Prime Minister, the Prince of Wales, and some other ministers. This is because Wockhardt is the only supplier and ~50% of all the UK vaccination has taken place from this facility.
  • The Company is in talks with 2 other vaccine manufacturers for fill-and-finish agreements. The Company is also expanding its capacities which are expected to commission early CY22. This business is expected to expand in the years to come.
  • Wockhardt would be filing the H14 form for its India facility and inviting the US FDA to visit for an inspection.
  • Wockhardt expects to achieve Rs 35bn in terms of topline and maintain the EBITDA margins from the 1QFY22 levels.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • We believe that the company’s strategic plan is to shift from acute therapeutic areas to more chronic businesses like anti-diabetes, CNS (central nervous system), etc., and also to its niche antibiotic portfolio of NCEs (new chemical entities).
  • This research focus will likely increase the time to deliver returns to shareholders and also make them unpredictable. The vaccine business could be the savior in the medium term as the volumes may increase shortly.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: NSE)

  • The closing price of Wockhardt was ₹ 553/- as of 26-July-2021. The Company reported a loss of ₹ 35.4 per share for the year ended 31st March 2021.
  • The consensus earnings estimate and price target are not available.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Remdesivir production ramped up, seeing a global shortage of Tocilizumab – Cipla

Update on Indian Equity Markets:

After two days of an upswing, markets reflected weakness on Wednesday as Nifty closed the day 0.5% lower at 15,030. Within the index, COALINDIA (3.4%), CIPLA (2.1%), and SUNPHARMA (1.9%) were the highest gainers while TATAMOTORS (-5.5%), BAJAJFINSV (-1.8%), and M&M (-1.8%) were few of the losers. Within the sectoral indices, REALTY (2.2%), MEDIA (2.0%), and PHARMA (1.2%) led the gainers while FIN SERVICE (-0.9%), PVT BANK (-0.8%), and AUTO (-0.7%) were the losers. 

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla Ltd (CIPLA) with CNBC -TV18 dated 18th May 2021:

  • CIPLA has maintained its growth guidance for FY22E as the momentum is intact in the business trajectory with the upcoming launches in the US and India.
  • The rise in input price will abate when the demand for COVID-19 drugs abate, dependent on the trend in cases. 
  • The company has ramped up its Remdesivir production by five times. The company believes that the supply is not short beyond a week’s demand or so because many other manufacturers have also increased production. Along with that, the company is also selling a lot of other vitamins and minerals related to COVID-19. 
  • During 4QFY21, company made 3% of sales from COVID-19 drug as compared to 5% in the earlier quarters.
  • There is a global shortage of Tocilizumab but the company has been able to serve for the same at its highest. Government importing Tocilizumab drug has helped alleviate demand pressure. 
  • The company is also willing to partner with global majors to import vaccines. The company can re-purpose factories for fill and finish of vaccines if required.  

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • The next 1-2 quarters might see a spurt in revenues from Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, and other COVID-19 related drugs due to the second wave of the pandemic. 
  • With the share of COVID-19 related drugs declining as a percentage of revenues, the focus will be on core business with new launches and new markets for revenue growth. 

Consensus Estimates: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of CIPLA was ₹ 898/- as of 19-May-2021.  It traded at 27x/ 23x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 33.6/ 39.8 for 22E/23E respectively.
  • The consensus price target is ₹ 993/- which trades at 25x the EPS estimate for FY23E of ₹ 39.8/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Plan to cross USD 1bn revenue by FY23 – Laurus Labs

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

The Nifty50 made a comeback in the last hour to end the day a little changed at 14,634. Among the index components, SBILIFE (+5.4%), BHARTIARTL (+4.5%), and ADANIPORTS (+4.5%) ended the day with gains. TITAN (-4.6%), INDUSINDBK (-2.3%), and RELIANCE (-1.9%) ended in the red. METAL (+2.2%), FMCG (+1.1%), and PHARMA (+0.3%) were the top sectoral gainers while MEDIA (-1.4%), PRIVATE BANK (-1.1%), and BANK (-1.0%) led the sectoral losers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Satyanarayana Chava, Founder & CEO, Laurus Labs aired on CNBC TV-18 on 30th April 2021:

  • Laurus Labs recently declared 4QFY21 results, wherein Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) revenue is up 88 percent and formulations are up 61 percent YoY. EBITDA margins reported were 33.4%.
  • They have the capacities, products to be made, and customer demand and expect reasonable growth in FY22.
  • The 30% + EBITDA margin is a benchmark. They will aim to achieve these margins to maintain healthy growth.
  • They continue to invest in infrastructure, investing Rs 7,000mn in FY21. They have earmarked Rs 15,000-17,000 mn for FY22 and FY23 for capex to augment their capacities in all 3 divisions.
  • The growth in API business has nothing to do with manufacturing Covid-19 drugs. The growth came primarily from antiretroviral, oncology and contract manufacturing for other generic companies. So far, there hasn’t been any disruption in the supply chain and no impact is expected from the 2nd Covid wave. There was an increase in logistic cost though.
  • The internal target is to cross USD 1bn in revenues by FY23E. With the capex incurred in FY21 and planned in FY22-23E, there will be a growth in revenues in FY22-23E.
  • The raw material price increase in products such as Paracetamol and Azithromycin was due to higher demand. In the products Laurus labs is manufacturing, the demand has not shot up as it has for the 2 products.
  • They are not passing on any of the incremental costs to customers. Due to covid-19, there was an incremental expense of USD 10mn, which was not passed onto customers.
  • Rather than investing in a one-time product, they are investing in the longer term. There is significant investment being made in the CRAMS business as they foresee sizeable growth in that division.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • The ramp-up in formulations business is expected to continue over FY20-23E. The execution in the US and EU are crucial to drive the next leg of formulations growth.
  • With a renewed focus on the synthesis segment, with R&D, increase in the number of customers, and addition of capabilities positions Laurus to evolve its business mix over the next 3-5 years.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of LAURUSLABS was ₹ 478/- as of 03-May-2021. It traded at 22x/ 20x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 21.3/ 23.9 per share for FY22E/FY23E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 414/- implies a PE multiple of 17x on FY23E EPS of ₹ 23.9/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Targeting Sputnik V import by June; to be priced at $10 – Dr Reddy’s Lab

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Thursday, the Nifty index ended with gains of 0.8% at 14,406 levels led by Metals and Financials. Within NIFTY50, WIPRO (+3.5%), ICICIBANK (+3.45%), and TATASTEEL (+3.2%) were the top gainers, while SHREECEM (-2.8%), TITAN(-2.7%), and TATACONSUM (-1.9%) were the top losing stocks. Among the sectoral indices, FMCG (-0.7%), PHARMA (-0.4%) and IT (-0.2%) were the losers, and BANK (+2.2%), FINSERVICE (+2.1%) AND MEDIA (+1.9%) were the top gainers.

Targeting May end or early June for Sputnik V import; vaccine to be priced at $10, says Dr Reddy’s Lab

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. G V Prasad, Co Chairman and Managing Director, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), aired on CNBC-TV18 dated on 20th April 2021:

  • V Prasad, Co-Chairman and MD at Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), on Tuesday, said that the target for the import of Sputnik V vaccine, against COVID-19, is May end or early June.
  • DRL is doing its best to accelerate the import and expects to get products launched in Q1FY22E. The cold chain and logistics are in place as they talk to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to accelerate the shipments.
  • He also mentioned that the launch of the India-made Sputnik V vaccine is likely to be in the Q2FY22E. Each manufacturer is in a different stage of the manufacturing process. But he hopes that in Q2 India will have Indian manufactured vaccine available at least from one-two players. So, overall Q2 should see the launch of the Indian vaccine.
  • Prasad clarified the pricing on the vaccine and said it would be uniform across the globe. He added that starting with the imported vaccine, the Russian organization has a uniform price of US $10 across the world. So, when it comes in, it will be priced at the same price that this product is offered anywhere else in the world.
  • The Pharma companies manufacturing the vaccines along with the government will have to come up with a price, which he hopes to be less than the imported price. He assured that the companies will not make profit out of this vaccine and expects the vaccine price not to be higher than US$10. 2 doses of vaccines are required and Mr. Prasad doesn’t think price would be an issue and people are willing to pay this price and don’t need to be subsidized.
  • Meanwhile, he welcomed the government’s announcement of liberalized and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination from May 1. The government said that anyone above 18 years of age will be eligible for vaccination from May 1. This announcement was a very major move by the government which will improve availability, by decentralizing the whole process, the logistics will be much better and it will be market-driven. So, he is optimistic about the way forward.
  • He believed that the private sector can now fully participate in the vaccine drive now and India will see a rise in availability. A rise in private organizations setting up vaccination centers will be seen and the imported vaccine will immediately relieve some pressure. People will also have the choice to get vaccinated with their choice of vaccines.
  • Last, he noted that there will not be any shortage of Remdesivir in the coming weeks. He said that Favipiravir is still available as it is not in much demand. He thinks there has been a significant overuse of Remdesivir. There is a gap in the market as the shortage was sudden and DRL is doing its best to improve the supply of Remdesivir and from next week onwards, they will have a good number of supplies for this product.
  • On April 5, the RDIF and drug firm Panacea Biotec had said that they had agreed to produce 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in India.
  • The efficacy of Sputnik V is 91.6 percent as confirmed by the data published in the leading medical journal, Lancet. It has been registered in 59 countries globally, the statement said. The price of Sputnik V is US $10 per shot, it added.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • Although DRL denied to comment on the profit margins expected from the vaccine and said they are not here to make profits out of this situation we feel that Pharma sector as a whole will see a high single digit or low double-digit growth in FY22E led by covid’s second wave related opportunities.
  • The increasing cases and lockdowns in major states in India will impact the market sentiment. The investors will rush back to the defensives and Pharma sector being one of them is likely to benefit.

Consensus Estimate (Source: investing. com and market screener websites)

  • The closing price of DRREDDY was ₹ 5,200 as of 22-April-2021. It traded at 26x/ 22x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 196/233 for FY22E/ FY23E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 5,491/- implies a PE multiple of 23x on FY23E EPS of ₹233/-.

 

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Expect Paracetamol prices to stabilize over a quarter or two – Granules India

Update on Indian Equity Market:

A day ahead of monthly F&O expiry, markets were in sell-off mode largely led by banks as Nifty fell 1.8% to 14,549. Within the index, CIPLA (1.8%), ASIANPAINT (1.4%) and POWERGRID (0.9%) were the only gainers while TATASTEEL (-4.7%), TATAMOTORS (-4.2%) and ADANIPORTS (-3.8%) led the losers. Among the sectoral indices, only PHARMA (0.1%) managed to close in green while PSU BANK (-3.3%), METAL (-3.2%), and REALTY (-2.9%) led the losers.

Excerpts of an interview with Ms. Priyanka Chigurupati, ED & Head of Strategy, Granules India (GRANULES) with CNBC -TV18 dated 23rd March 2021:

  • The bulk drug prices of common pain killer drug, Paracetamol, has risen by 75-80 percent in India over the past two to three months. This spike is due to a 60 percent price rise in the two key raw materials used to manufacture the drug.
  • The prices went up from Rs 350 in the domestic market to around Rs 600. The key raw material, Para Amino Phenol (PAP) has seen a sharp increase in the last few months. One of the Chinese facilities responsible for about 46% of the PAP production in the world has shut down resulting in a supply shortage.
  • On the other side, the Chinese companies have increased consumption of PAP due to increasing demand for Paracetamol, further adding pressure on the raw material. 
  • The Company expects this to be a little blip for the next quarter or two. The management is confident of achieving year-end guidance.
  • The Company expects excess supply of PAP in the world over the next few months. This will act as a catalyst for downward pressure on the prices.
  • The Company has passed on the increased cost to its customers. The Company uses formula-based pricing with its strategic partners and has been able to take up most of the price increases. 

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • The rise in selling price will provide a boost to the top-line during the next quarter or two. This boost will be short-lived as the prices will revert to mean. The price rise has been sharp and may even see muted or slight decline in volumes.
  • As the Company has able to pass on most of the cost rise to its customers, the absolute profitability will see growth. The Company may witness a dip in margins as the base for revenues is high due to higher realization.

Consensus Estimates (Source: market screener website):

  • The closing price of GRANULES was ₹ 323/- as of 24-March-2021.  It traded at 15x/ 13x/ 11x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 21.8/ 24.8/ 29.7 for FY21E/22E/23E respectively.
  • The consensus price target is ₹ 450/- which trades at 15x the EPS estimate for FY23E of ₹ 29.7/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Investments in generics getting validated now – LUPIN

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, the equity market reversed from the day’s lows and the Nifty50 index closed 1% higher led by the BFSI sector. The top gainers in the index were SBILIFE (+5.0%), KOTAKBANK (+3.1%), and HDFCBANK (+2.9%) while the losers were BPCL (-4.6%), TATASTEEL (-3.9%), and GAIL (-3.3%). The sectoral gainers were FINANCIAL SERVICES (+2.2%), FINANCIAL SERVICES 25/50 (+1.9%), and PRIVATE BANK (+1.8%). METALS (-2.5%), MEDIA (-1.4%), and REALTY (-1.1%) led the sectoral losers.

On Women’s Day, CNBC-TV18 conducted interviews with some women leaders from India Inc. Here are the excerpts of an interview with Ms. Vinita Gupta, CEO, Lupin with CNBC TV18 on 8th March 2021:

  • Ms. Gupta believes that all the investments made to drive the generics business, and affordable medicines business to the next level are getting validated now. They have been investing in therapies like inhalation, biosimilars, complex injectables, and women’s health products over the past 5 years, and have made tremendous progress in the last 12-18months.
  • In the inhalation therapy, they have received the first major approval for Albuterol in Sept-2020. The timely approval despite the pandemic will be beneficial for asthma and COPD patients who are at a high risk of complications due to Covid-19 infection. Lupin was able to launch the product and is ramping up the production.
  • With more inhalation products pending approval from the US FDA, she believes the inhalation therapy will drive growth in the generics business.
  • There is still a very large number of Corona cases in particular in the US. From a lockdown point, some states have more of a lockdown than others. The elective procedures are still below pre-Covid levels, suggesting things aren’t yet back to normal. They hope things would be in the second half of this year with vaccinations ramping up over the next couple of months.
  • Lupin supplies medicines for about 5% of prescriptions in the USA so maintaining the supply continuity was essential through the pandemic.
  • Despite the pandemic, Lupin was able to achieve QoQ growth in both revenues and profits. She expects the growth to continue on FY22E as well. The Albuterol approval will be a significant growth driver in FY22E.
  • There are 5 other inhaler products in the pipeline in the next 2 years for Lupin in the USA. The FY23 will be a significant year as they intend to launch products like Albuterol, Fostair in Europe, Spiriva in 2023.
  • Price Erosion in the generics will continue to be one of the biggest challenges in FY22E. The price erosion has reduced from earlier periods to low-mid single digits now. The complex generics launches and operating efficiency will help offset the price erosion impact.
  • They have acute and chronic care products within their India portfolio. The chronic care areas such as diabetes, CNS, Cardiovascular, Respiratory have done extremely well. Acute care products have been struggling, in line with the overall acute market in India.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • Domestic pharma companies have been facing price erosion pressures in generic products in the US for quite some time now. Hence, they have shifted focus on complex generics, and biosimilars which require a higher degree of specialization and are margin accretive. Some of these companies have shifted to a direct-to-market (DTM) approach rather than being partnered companies of US pharma majors.
  • Some domestic Indian companies such as Lupin and Cipla have specialization in respiratory/inhalation therapies. These companies expect Albuterol Sulfate inhaler products to be one of the key growth drivers in the near term. Apart from Albuterol Sulfate, these companies expect an incremental USD 100-150mn opportunity from the respiratory pipeline in the USA.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of LUPIN was ₹ 1,033/- as of 09-March-2021. It traded at 43x/ 28x/ 23x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 23.9/ 37.5/ 45.7 per share for FY21E/FY22E/FY23E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1,045 implies a PE multiple of 23x on FY23E EPS of ₹ 45.7/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information pro

Expect growth to be sustainable for specialty business – Alembic Pharmaceuticals

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Thursday, NIFTY closed in red at 14,590 (-0.4%). Top gainers in NIFTY50 were Tata motors (+6.4%), Bajaj Finance (+2.7%), and Reliance (+2.6%). The top losers were ONGC (-3.3%), Tata Steel (-2.9%), and Coal India (-2.6%). The top sectoral losers were PSU BANK (-3.3%), REALTY (-2.6%), and METAL (-2.2%) and there were no sectoral gainers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Shaunak Amin, MD – Alembic Pharma (APLLTD) with CNBC TV18 dated 20thh January 2021:

  • In the trailing quarters, they had almost 10 quarters of fantastic growth in the US business, so the base had been built up quite high. This quarter was a bit of a competitive intensity which led to a slowdown.
  • US sales have slowed down in this quarter.
  • On the Indian side of the business, they haven’t launched any of the COVID-specific products. Whatever growth they did see in Q3 was on the back of a better performance largely by speciality business.
  • The acute portfolio for them was very sluggish not just for them but for the whole market.
  • The company expects growth to be sustainable for speciality businesses.
  • It is the speciality business they expected to be sustainable going forward, acute side of the business the market for that still hasn’t recovered back to normal levels in terms of growth.
  • As long as the market continues to underperform on the acute side of things, it is hard to show large growth numbers.
  • They haven’t pursued any specific cost-cutting activities with respect to COVID. In terms of their operational expenses, they try to maintain their OPEX at the same level pre-COVID, during COVID at the current level now.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener and investing.com websites)

  • The closing price of APLLTD was ₹ 942/- as of 21-January-2021.  It traded at 16x /18x/17x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 59.3/ 51.2/ 56.2 for FY21E/FY22E/23E respectively.
  • The Consensus price target of APLLTD of ₹ 1,121/- implies a PE multiple of 20x on FY23E EPS estimate of ₹56.2/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Will complete phase III trial for COVID vaccine in next 2-3 months – Zydus Cadila

Update on the Indian Equity Market:
On Tuesday, Nifty ended 0.5% higher at 14,200 led by IT and Financials. The top gainers for Nifty 50 were Axis Bank (+6.3%), HDFC (+3.0%), and IndusInd Bank (+2.7%) while the losing stocks for the day were ONGC (-2.0%), JSW Steel (-1.9%), and Hindalco (-1.8%). Top gaining sectors were IT (+2.6%), Pvt Bank (+1.9%), and Bank (+1.6%) while Metal (-1.4%), Realty (-0.4%), and Auto (-0.02%) were the losing sectors.

Edited excerpts of an interview with Mr Sharvil Patel, MD, Zydus Group; dated 04th January 2021 from CNBCTV18:

CADILA’s COVID-19 vaccine received a very good response in the second phase trials. The company is now prepared to carry the third phase of the trials in over 60 sites with 30,000 doses, which it expects to complete in the next two-three months, Mr Patel added.

The phase I/ II data have been found to be safe & immunogenic.

They also expect the efficacy results on the COVID-19 vaccine by the first quarter of FY21.

The subject expert committee in India has already given permission to Cadila Healthcare to conduct phase-III clinical trial protocol for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Company is making sure that they have the manufacturing capacities while they are working on developing the vaccine.

For the last 6-8 months, the Company has been investing large amounts of its capacities in building for the vaccine. They are able to produce around 150 million doses of the vaccine annually.

The Company has partnered with contract manufacturing organisations where they could potentially transfer their technology to produce another additionally 50-70 million doses and that can also be ramped up depending on the requirements.

On funding, Mr Patel said that these activities are all from internal accruals.

On EBITDA, he said that in the current scheme of thing with the current mix of the business that the Company is doing, they are able to maintain their EBITDA levels. The challenge will be in the coming years when things normalise. With the new portfolio that they are adding to both India and US markets, the Company has been working towards at least maintaining those margins and then over a period of next 3 years further improving this.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)
The closing price of Cadila Healthcare was ₹ 486/- as of 05-January-2021. It traded at 26x/ 24x/23x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 18.5/20.0/21.6 for FY21E/ FY22E/ FY23E respectively.
The consensus target price of ₹ 454/- implies a PE multiple of 21x on FY23E EPS of ₹ 21.6/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Several good products in the pipeline – Lupin

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Friday, Nifty closed 0.3% higher at 14,019. Within NIFTY50, ADANIPORTS (+4.4%), TCS (+2.4%), and ITC (+2.3%) were the top gainers, while ICICIBANK (-1.4%), SBILIFE (-1.0%), and HINDALCO (-1.0%) were the top losing stocks. Among the sectoral indices, PSU BANK (+3.3%), AUTO (+0.9%), and IT (+0.8%) were the top gainers while PRIVATE BANK (-0.3%), FINANCIAL SERVICES (-0.2%), and BANK (-0.1%) were the only losing sectors.

Several good products in the pipeline – Lupin

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Ramesh Swaminathan, ED, and Global CFO, Lupin, aired on CNBC-TV18 on 30th December 2020:
● In the case of new launches- after a drought of the past few years, Lupin had several launches in the recent past. Lupin has launched 12 new products. The most important of the launches has been Albuterol. Albuterol has a large market and the overall inhalations segment is still a growing market in the US.
● Lupin has a pipeline of 150 product launches in the US over the next 3-5 years. Some of that was delayed due to plant issues but now Lupin will launch the bulk of that. Lupin’s story is all about future products in specific areas such as inhalation, complex injectables, and biosimilars.
● In the inhalations segment, Lupin is working on at least 15-20 products.
● Over the last several years, Lupin has invested 9%-9.5% of sales in R&D. This spends will pay returns in the next few years- which was lacking in the past. Lupin had a lack of good products to launch in the last 3-4 years. The company now has a few really good products which will come up in the next few years.
● In 2HFY21E, India will pick up, and going forward growth will sustain. In the US, Lupin has already reached the USD 180 mn per quarter mark and the performance will be better by 4QFY21E.
● Gross margin has been around 63-64% mark which management thinks is a good level. A lot of cost-cutting measures have been implemented which have delivered results in 2QFY21. EBITDA margin was 14.7% in 1QFY21, 16.7% in 2QFY21. Management expects that to stabilize and increase to 20%-21% by 4QFY21E.
● Lupin’s Somerset facility in New Jersey saw 13 observations. Management is disappointed but thinks things are still under control. Somerset plant is not a very big producer as compared to plants in India.
● Management is confident that Indian plants that have been impacted will get resolved. But it’s a waiting game depending on USFDA’s timeline in the covid-19 situation. There are no new filings from the Mandideep unit which has a Warning letter. The same cannot be said about Goa and Pithampur 2 which are very important sites.

Consensus Estimate (Source: market screener website)
● The closing price of LUPIN was ₹ 1,002 as of 1-January-2021. It traded at 43x/ 27x/ 22x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 23.4/36.8/44.8 for FY21E/ FY22E/ FY23E respectively.
● The consensus target price of ₹ 968/- implies a PE multiple of 22x on FY23E EPS of ₹44.8/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Merger &Acquisition in mind as a growth strategy – Gland Pharma

Update on Indian equity market:
On Thursday, the Nifty50 touched an all-time high before closing flat at 13,982 on the penultimate trading day of 2020. Surprisingly, the index has given 15% returns in a year where the world was struggling with the pandemic, the best since 2017! Within the index, HDFC (1.3%), SUN PHARMA (1.1%), and DIVISLABS (1.0%) led the gainers while SHREECEM (-2.4%), TCS (-1.5%), and ULTRACEMCO (-1.4%) were the highest losers. Among the sectoral indices, REALTY (1.2%), MEDIA (0.9%), and METAL (0.7%) led the gainers offset by PSU BANK (-0.5%), FMCG (-0.4%), and IT (-0.3%).
Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Srinivas Sadu, Managing Director and CEO, Gland Pharma Ltd (Gland) published on CNBC-TV18 dated 30th December 2020:
The business model of Gland is focused on B2B (Business to Business) in over 60 countries and the company will focus on growing in the same space.
He said that the order book is strong for the next year. The company has also planned several launches to aid in growth. The year 2020 was different as the product mix was different due to the pandemic.
1QFY21 was affected due to the pandemic. The company managed to sell a lot of ICU related products in the US and other markets.
The company has a strong presence in anti-infectives. 30% of the revenues are contributed by this segment. The company also has 20-30% of the APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) backward integrated.
As a part of the growth strategy, the company is not shying away from mergers and acquisitions provided that it has to fit in the growth strategy of the company.
Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener and investing.com website)
The closing price of Gland was ₹ 2,380/- as of 31-Dec-2020. It traded at 39x/ 32x/ 26x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 61/ 74/ 93 for FY21E/ FY22E/ FY23E respectively.
The consensus target price of ₹ 2,330/- implies a P/E multiple of 25x on FY23E EPS of ₹ 93.
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