Brickwork Ratings reaffirms the ratings for the Bank Loan Facilities of Rs. 146.65 Crs. of Avon Steel Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Particulars| Facilities** | Amount (Rs.Crs.) | Tenure | Rating# | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous | Present | Previous (23 Mar 2020) |
Present | ||
| Fund Based | 43.14 | 46.65 | Long Term |
BWR BBB (Stable)
Downgrade |
BWR BBB
/Stable Reaffirmation |
| Non Fund Based | 100.00 | 100.00 | Short Term |
BWR A2
Downgrade |
BWR A2
Reaffirmation |
| (30.00) | (30.00) | ||||
| Grand Total | 143.14 | 146.65 | (Rupees One Hundred Forty Six Crores and Sixty Five lakhs Only) | ||
While reaffirming the ratings of Avon Steel Industries Pvt. Ltd (ASIPL or the company) BWR has factored in its sustained financial performance in FY20, stability in its major financial parameters, likelihood of improvement in its revenues and profitability margins in FY21 and FY22, owing to significant increase in demand for steel products leading to a surge in steel prices over the past 8 to 9 months. The company’s gearing ratio is expected to remain comfortable in the absence of any proposed capex programme making its future financial risk profile relatively predictable, although the profitability is highly vulnerable to volatility in the raw material prices. Further, the company’s long operational track record, lineage to the well established ‘Avon’ Group and promoters’ experience continue to support the ratings. On the other hand, factors such as low product differentiation, cyclicality in the steel industry and intense competition from market participants continue to offset the rating strengths.
OUTLOOK: STABLE
BWR believes that the business risk profile of ASIPL will be maintained over the medium term. The ‘Stable’ outlook indicates a low likelihood of rating change over the medium term. The outlook may be revised to positive in case the revenues and profitability margins show a sustained improvement. It may be revised to negative if the revenues go down and profitability margins show lower than expected figures.
KEY RATING DRIVERSCredit Strengths:
The company's provisional sales of Rs 562 Crs in FY21 stand marginally above the FY20 sales. However, this figure is much above the company's projections of FY21 after the steep decline during Q1FY21 due to COVID induced slowdown across industries. The Profitability too, is expected to improve due to higher realisations of the company's products. The prices of steel products increased as much as ~25% driven by increased global demand in the second half of FY21.
The company continued to maintain a comfortable financial risk profile despite posting net loss in FY19 FY20, albeit the cash accruals stood positive between Rs. 6-7 Crores in both the years. The company has decreased its total debt by ~Rs 14 Crs after repayment of its term loan and low utilisation of the working capital limits in FY20. The D:E and TOL/TNW ratios improved from 0.39x 1.84x in FY19 to 0.25x 1.54x respectively in FY20. Due to even lower utilisation of limits as on March'2021, these ratios are expected to improve further. However, due to net loss of ~ Rs 5 Crs in FY20, the DSCR stood low at 1.00x while the ISCR stood moderate at 1.48x. These ratios are expected to improve significantly in FY21 as the company is expecting higher profits. Company's cash conversion cycle stood comfortable in the range of 0-10 days in the past four years. The company has no plans for large debt funded CAPEX. Under such a scenario, the company leverage is expected to remain comfortable in FY22 as well.
The company derives its lineage from the 65 year old established Avon Group which currently holds business interests in the manufacturing of bicycles, hot rolled coils, cold rolled coils, rickshaw and bicycle rims through various companies. The company uses the brand name of 'Avon' to sell its products in the market. The largest shareholder in the company with over 96% shareholding, Mr Chetan Pahwa, holds an experience of 2 decades in the steel sector. He is well assisted by qualified professionals having healthy experience in their respective domains.
Credit Risks:
ASIPL procures majority of its raw material from Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), prices of which are released every month. Raw material cost constitutes ~ 80-85% of the selling price of the finished products. Any adverse fluctuation in these prices increases the susceptibility of margins of the company, as the steel industry is highly competitive in nature and the market players enjoy only limited pricing powers for their products. The adverse movement in prices have hit the Company's profitability in FY19 and FY20.
The Company's debt coverage ratio stood at 0.94x and 1.0x in FY19 and FY20 respectively. Due to the company booking inventory loss owing to unfavorable prices during these years, the cash accruals were tightly matched to the maturing debt repayments. However, the demand in the steel sector is cyclical and majority of the players tend to benefit in the upside as is the case currently. The company is expecting higher profits and thus a higher DSCR in FY21.
The ratings of Avon Steel Industries Pvt. Ltd. are arrived at on a standalone basis after independent evaluation of its financial risk profile. For arriving at its ratings, BWR has applied its rating methodology as detailed in the rating criteria detailed below (hyperlinks provided at the end of this rationale).
RATING SENSITIVITIES
Upward:Rating may be upgraded if the company's margins improve to over 5% and net margins sustain at more than 2% levels. Besides, the company must also register improvements in DSCR to at least 1.5x while it continues to maintain its growth in revenues at current levels.
Downward:Other than a significant deterioration in company's profitability, any stretch on the company's liquidity parameters may result in a rating downgrade.
LIQUIDITY INDICATORS - Adequate
Liquidity position of the company has improved to ‘adequate’ as reflected in improved cash accruals in FY21 (estimated) against a low maturing debt of ~ Rs. 2.5-3 Crores during the year. The company's utilisation of cash credit limits stood low at ~ 26% in the last 9 months while the LC limit utilisation stood at ~65%. If the steel prices stay firm for a longer period, the accruals in FY22 are likely to remain adequate in servicing the maturing debt obligations of Rs 8-9 Crs. Further, the company does not plan to incur large scale debt funded capex in FY22, which supports the liquidity profile in the short to medium term.
ABOUT THE ENTITYAvon Steel Industries Pvt ltd., ASIPL was incorporated in 1999 as a public limited company. It was converted into a private limited company in 2008. Its registered office is located at Phase VIII, Focal Point, Chandigarh Road, Ludhiana-141010. ASIPL is engaged in the manufacturing of hot rolled coils and steel tubes at its plant in Ludhiana. The company sells its products under the brand name of “AVON” which has been in the industry for more than six and a half decades and is widely recognized in the local market. Mr Chetan Pahwa, who is the Managing Director of ASIPL is also a director in Avon Rims Pvt Ltd. which manufactures rims for cycles. ASIPL procures the majority of the raw material required (steel slabs/ blooms) from Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL).
KEY FINANCIAL INDICATORS (Standalone)| Key Parameters | Units |
FY 19-20 (Audited) |
FY 18-19 (Audited) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Revenue | Rs.Crs. | 551.97 | 639.66 |
| EBITDA | Rs.Crs. | 16.62 | 16.04 |
| PAT | Rs.Crs. | -5.29 | -4.59 |
| Tangible Net Worth | Rs.Crs. | 86.29 | 91.48 |
| Total Debt/Tangible Net Worth | Times | 0.25 | 0.39 |
| Current Ratio | Times | 1.00 | 0.98 |
CARE, vide its rationale dated 10 Apr 2020, placed the rating of ASIPL under ‘Issuer Not Cooperating Category’ while assigning a rating of CARE BB (Stable)/A4.
RATING HISTORY FOR THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS (including withdrawal and suspended)| Facilities | Current Rating (2021) | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Tenure | Amount (Rs.Crs.) |
Rating | Date | Rating | Date | Rating | Date | Rating |
| Fund Based | LT | 46.65 |
BWR BBB/Stable
(Reaffirmation) |
23Mar2020 |
BWR BBB (Stable)
(Downgrade) |
06Mar2019 |
BWR BBB+ (Stable)
(Assigned) |
NA |
NA
|
| Non Fund Based | ST | 100.00 |
BWR A2
(Reaffirmation) |
23Mar2020 |
BWR A2
(Downgrade) |
06Mar2019 |
BWR A2+
(Assigned) |
NA |
NA
|
| NFB SubLimit | ST | (30.00) |
BWR A2
(Reaffirmation) |
NA |
NA
|
NA |
NA
|
NA |
NA
|
| Grand Total | 146.65 | (Rupees One Hundred Forty Six Crores and Sixty Five lakhs Only) | |||||||
BWR complexity levels are meant for educating investors. The BWR complexity levels are available at www.brickworkratings.com / download / ComplexityLevels.pdf. Investors queries can be sent to info@brickworkratings.com.
Hyperlink/Reference to applicable Criteria| Analytical Contacts | |
|---|---|
|
Sumit Saharan Senior Rating Analyst Board : +91 172 5032 295 / 6 sumit.s@brickworkratings.com |
Ashwini Mital Director - Ratings Board : +91 172 5032 295 / 6 ashwinimital@brickworkratings.com |
| 1-860-425-2742 | media@brickworkratings.com | |
| SL.No. | Type Of Facilities | Long Term(Rs.Crs.) | Short Term(Rs.Crs.) | Total(Rs.Crs.) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cash CreditSanctioned | 10.00 | _ | 10.00 | ||
| 2 | Inland Letter of Credit (ILC)Sanctioned | _ | 55.00 | 55.00 | ||
| 3 | Term LoanOut-standing | 10.59 | _ | 10.59 | ||
| 4 | Cash CreditSanctioned | 20.00 | _ | 20.00 | ||
| 5 | Inland Letter of Credit (ILC)Sanctioned | _ | 45.00 | 45.00 | ||
| Sub-Limit (Bank Guarantee) Sanctioned | (30.00) | |||||
| 6 | Covid -19 Emergency Line CreditOut-standing | 6.06 | _ | 6.06 | ||
| Total | 46.65 | 100.00 | 146.65 | |||
| TOTAL (Rupees One Hundred Forty Six Crores and Sixty Five lakhs Only) | ||||||
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