Maruti Suzuki Q3: Can new launches do the trick?

Usually for automobile sector, third quarter is considered strong due to festive season-led higher sales. 

Riding on record sales, in Q2FY17, Maruti registered 60.18% jump in net profit to Rs 2,398 crore, against Rs 1,497 crore during the July-September period of last financial year 2015-16. 

However, Maruti's domestic sales in December 2016 stood at 1,06,414 units, a decline of 4.4% from 1,11,333 units in the same month of the previous year.

A Kotak research report said, "We expect revenues to increase by 11% yoy on the back of 4% yoy volume growth and increase in realisations led by higher export ASPs and success of higher-priced recent launches."

"While EBITDA (operating profit) is expected to grow by 17% yoy in 3QFY17 supported by significant pick-up in average selling prices due to strong demand for Baleno and Vitara Brezza, " said Kotak. 

It added, "We expect EBITDA margin to decline by 180 basis point (bps) qoq (quarter-on-quarter) led by - (1) Rise in commodity costs (-150 bps), (2) negative operating leverage (-70 bps) offset by
currency benefit (+40 bps)."

At 10.04 am, the shares of Maruti was trading at Rs 5776 per share on BSE, up Rs 50.85 or 0.89%.