Report

Reliance Industries' Q4FY18 results (Neutral) - Strong Petchem helps offset weaker Refining for the qtr

Q4FY18 result highlights

  • RIL reported consol PAT of Rs94.6bn, marginally ahead of estimates (Rs93bn), driven by strong operating results in petchem and a better than estimated EBIT of Rs14.95bn in the telecom business vs estimates of 13.4bn.
  • Refining segment disappointed however, with GRMs of US$11/bbl (IDFCe US$11.2/bbl, Q3FY18 US$11.6/bbl) – thruput of 16.7mt was also down 5/6% yoy/qoq, due to a maintenance shutdown. 
  • Telecom segment missed IDFCe Revenue at Rs71.3bn (est Rs71.6) but EBITDA of Rs26.9bn was broadly in line, with lower than est ARPU offset by higher active subs for the qtr. 
  • Depreciation/interest costs of Rs48.5/25.7bn were up 7/22% qoq reflecting the capitalisation of telecom segment capex/debt.

 

Key positives: Very strong Petchem margins and record volumes. .

Key Negatives: E&P remains a laggard; net debt remains elevated, Refining EBIT below estimates, with full commissioning of Petcoke gasifier pushed by two quarters.

Impact on financials: FY19E EPS reduced marginally to factor petcoke gasifier delay – FY20E EPS raised 5% to factor stronger petchem earnings. TP raised to 965/sh. 

Valuation & View – earnings strength reflects in the price

With growing momentum on the downstream expansion/margin improvement projects and the strong performance of Jio, the potential for earnings growth over FY19-20E is not in doubt, with the substantial volume increase in petchem and margin improvement in both refining/petchem segments and the growth in Jio operating earnings over FY19-20E. The guidance/update by RIL reinforces our assumptions of FY19E seeing a step change in profitability and operating metrics. Having said that, we remain sceptical of any meaningful expansion in RoE/RoCE levels, with the operating profit improvement offset by higher depreciation/interest costs due to the higher capex over FY15-20E and resultant higher debt on the books. Current valuations of 14.5x FY19E EPS/10x EV/EBITDA and 1.7x book value imply an estimated 7-7.5x EV/E to downstream and 11x EV/E being attributed to the telecom business (on FY20E, vs 7.5x -8x for peers), which we believe adequately captures the risk reward in the stock. Reiterate Neutral, with our revised TP implying 3% downside.

Underlying
Reliance Industries Limited

Reliance Industries is primarily engaged in the production and market of petrochemical products, and refinery and retail of petroleum and LPG. Co.'s petrochemical products include polymer - polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), poly vinyl chloride (PVC); polyester - polyester filament yarn (PFY), polyester staple fiber (PSF), polyethylene terephthalate (PET); polyester intermediates - paraxylene (PX), purified terephthalic acid (PTA), mono-ethylene glycol (MEG); and cracker products - ethylene, propylene and aromatics. Co. is also engaged in the manufacture of RELAB and textiles. Co.'s textile products are sold under the brand names: Only Vimal, Harmony, Reance, RueRel and V2.

Provider
IDFC Securities
IDFC Securities

IDFC Securities Ltd., a subsidiary of the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) wherein the Government of India holds a 20% interest, is India's leading equities broker catering to most of the prominent financial institutions,  both foreign and domestic investing in Indian equities. A research team of experienced and dedicated experts ensures the flow of critically investigated stock ideas and portfolio strategies for our clients. Our coverage spans across various growth sectors such as agriculture, automobiles, Consumer Goods, Technology, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Media, Power, Real Estate, Telecom, Capital Goods, Logistics, Cement  amongst other sectors. Our clients value us for our strong research-led investment ideas, superior client servicing track record and exceptional execution skills.

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