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Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd>
  • CMP : 385.9 Chg : 6.05 (1.59%)
  • Target : 290.0 (6.62%)
  • Target Period : 12-18 Month

01 Jun 2022

Outlook remains challenging in medium term…

About The Stock

Advanced Enzyme Technologies (AET) is a focused, research driven Indian enzymes company with a product basket of 400+ proprietary products developed from 68 indigenous enzymes and probiotics.

  • The business is divided into three segments - 1) human healthcare, 2) animal healthcare and 3) industrial processing business
  • It has seven manufacturing and six R&D facilities, which consist of three integrated fermentations, recovery & formulation facilities, one extraction and recovery facility and one satellite blending, mixing & formulation facility
Q4FY22

Margin pressure and poor demand offtake continues to weigh.

  • Revenues were down 1% YoY to ₹ 132 crore
  • EBITDA was at ₹ 40.3 crore, down 26.6% YoY with margins at 30.6%
  • Adjusted PAT was at ₹ 24.4 crore (down 22.9% YoY)
What should Investors do?

AET’s share price has grown by ~1.4x over the past three years (from ~₹ 193 in May 2019 to ~₹ 272 levels in May 2022).

Downgrade from BUY to HOLD as we wait for normalcy to return in core businesses of Human Nutrition as well as improvement in margin profile.

Target Price Valuation

We value AET at ₹ 290 i.e. 22x FY24E EPS of ₹ 13.2

Key Triggers for future price performance
  • Easing of input cost inflation, logistical challenges and demand for enzymes and probiotics in key geographies
  • AET remains a marginal player in the global enzymes landscape that is estimated at ~US$10 billion and poised to grow as more applications across usage industries incorporate enzymatic technologies
  • It has got proven capabilities and stable financials, thanks to a mix of organic and inorganic growth strategy employed by management
  • Going ahead, AET plans to augment its R&D capability that bodes well in the long run in its quest to improve scalability & foraying into complex enzymes
New Stock Ideas

Apart from AET, in our healthcare coverage we like Laurus.

  • Laurus is evolving as a strong vertically integrated player with strong order book visibility and incremental traction from custom synthesis
  •  BUY with a target price of ₹ 690

Key Financial Summary

Particulars FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 5 Year CAGR(FY17-FY22) FY23E FY24E 2 Year CAGR (FY22-FY24E)
Net Sales 419.6 444.0 501.8 529.4 9.8 567.8 637.5 9.7
EBITDA 181.9 202.3 231.5 201.4 6.0 197.3 244.3 10.1
EBITDA Margins (%) 43.4 45.6 46.1 38.0 - 34.8 38.3 -
Adj. Profit 111.1 129.3 146.2 119.7 5.7 114.2 147.1 10.9
Adj. EPS (|) 9.9 11.6 13.1 10.7 - 10.2 13.2 -
PE (x) 32.1 23.5 20.8 25.4 - 26.6 20.7 -
RoE (%) 16.4 15.4 15.1 11.0 - 9.6 11.1 -
RoCE (%) 21.6 19.6 19.4 14.3 - 12.6 14.7 -
Source: Company, ICICI Direct Research

Key takeaways of recent quarter & conference call highlights

Q4FY22 Results: Margin pressure continues amid challenging environment

  • Revenues declined 1% YoY to | 132 crore on the back of 7% YoY de-growth in Human nutrition segment to | 86 crore being partially offset by growth of 16% YoY in animal nutrition to | 15 crore. Bio processing segment de-grew 5% YoY to | 19 crore while specialised manufacturing sales was at | 11 crore this quarter. EBITDA margins contracted 1060 bps YoY to 31% mainly due to higher other expenditure. Subsequently, EBITDA de-grew 27% YoY to | 40 crore while net profit declined 23% YoY to | 24 crore
  • Advanced Enzyme reported below par performance this quarter and margins was significantly below I-direct estimates. We believe lower margins is due to cost attributable to SSPL integration, higher freight cost and employee expenses. However, historically, strong margins and healthy return ratios is testament to the pricing power and balance sheet strength of the company. Going ahead, the management intends to augment its R&D capability for better facilitation and strengthening of in-house R&D capability, which bodes well in the long run in its quest to improve scalability and a possible foray into more complex enzymes and launch more products in target market of probiotics

 

Q4FY22 Earnings Conference Call highlights

  • The company witnessed continued challenges on logistics and input cost
  • Raw material inflation impact was ~ 1% on gross margins. EBITDA margins declined due to higher raw material cost and higher other expenses comprising consulting charges, promotional activities, fuel cost, laboratory cost and payroll expense amid new hiring and freight and forwarding expense
  • Revenues from Evoxx this quarter was at | 5 crore, EBITDA was at | 1.5 crore, profit of | 60 lakh. Revenues from JC Biotech was | 13.9 crore while EBITDA was at | 3.5 crore and PAT at | 1.7 crore
  • AET’s largest selling product, anti-inflammatory enzyme sales in Q4FY22 was at | 24.7 crore vs. | 28.1 crore in Q4FY21 and | 103.9 crore in FY22 (28% of sales) vs. | 113.5 crore in FY23 (31% of sales)
  • Top 10 customers of AET contributed 28% in FY22 vs. 31% in FY21
  • B2C segment was flat YoY in Q4FY22. US revenues grew mostly in nutraceutical and food business while non-food saw de-growth. Probiotics sales were impacted due to inventory at customer’s end
  • The management has indicated at some enquiries from Russian markets stemming from ongoing geopolitical conflict. Increase in API cost for Bio-catalyst products is on declining trend
  • Capacity utilisation: 55-60%
  • The management did not guide for H1FY23 but is hopeful to see low double-digit growth in FY23.
Vriance Analysis

  Q4FY22 Q4FY21 Q3FY22 YoY (%) QoQ (%)   Comments
Revenue 131.7 133.2 133.6 -1.1 -1.4   YoY decline amid de-growth in human HC and industrial processing being partially offset by growth in Animal HC and SSPL
Raw Material Expenses 31.6 30.4 31.0 4.2 2.0   YoY increase in GPM on account of rise in input cost
Employee Expenses 25.9 23.2 25.4 11.7 2.1    
Other Expenditure 33.8 24.7 28.1 36.9 20.4   Higher YoY growth attributable to SSPL integration
EBITDA 40.3 54.9 49.1 -26.6 -17.8    
EBITDA (%) 30.6 41.2 36.7 -1060 bps -612 bps   YoY decline mainly due to higher input and freight cost along with higher employee and other expenditure 
Interest 0.7 0.4 0.3 60.2 116.5   YoY increase due to lease accounting treatment
Depreciation 9.1 8.4 8.8 8.2 2.9   YoY increase in depreciation due to inclusion of SSPL in FY22
Other Income 3.4 1.7 1.2 101.0 180.4    
PBT before EO & Forex 33.9 47.8 41.1 -28.9 -17.5    
Forex & EO 0.0 0.0 0.0        
PBT 33.9 47.8 41.1 -28.9 -17.5    
Tax  8.7 14.0 12.6 -37.8 -30.8    
PAT before MI 25.3 33.8 28.6 -25.3 -11.6    
MI 0.8 2.1 1.1 -61.2 -23.1    
Net Profit 24.4 31.7 27.5 -22.9 -11.1   YoY delta vis-a-vis EBITDA due to higher other income and lower tax expense
Key Metrics              
Human HC       86.5       92.5      91.8 -6.5 -5.8   YoY decline due to inventory at customers end and logisctic issues
Animal HC       15.2       13.1      13.2 16.0 15.2    
Industrial Processing       18.8       19.7      16.0 -4.6 17.5   Food business grew 14% YoY, non food categories declined 39% YoY
Specialised Manu. (SSPL)       11.3           -        12.5   -9.6    

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