Company Profile
Jyothy Labs Ltd. (JLL) was incorporated in 1983 by Mr. M.P. Ramachandran, in Kerala. The company is known for its various products under FMCG industry. JLL has a strong product portfolio across various categories such as Dish wash, Fabric care (main wash), Fabric care (post wash), Personal care, HI (household insecticides) and others under the renowned brands like PRIL, Ujala, Henko, etc. The company has a wide distribution network with PAN India presence. It also has an active exports market across 19 countries.
Investment Rationale
· Well established market position under various categories
JLL has a well established position in the domestic FMCG industry, supported by its brands which have a strong presence in domestic markets with strong recall value. The company’s strength also lies in its strong pan India distribution network of ~7,300 stockists and sub-stockists and retail reach of 2.8 million outlets as per its annual report. Key products of the company where strong growth trajectory is witnessed are fabric care, dishwashing and HI segments, through its power brands, Ujala, Henko, Exo, Pril and Maxo. For Q1 FY24 the share of following category of products in the total revenue of the company is as follows~ Dish wash, Fabric care (main wash), Fabric care (post wash), Personal care, HI and Other are 34%, 32%, 11%, 12%, 7% and 4% of the total revenues of the company respectively.
· Strong demand and premiumisation
The demand environment for company’s products is stable with moderating input costs helped the company to improve margins during Q1 FY24 significantly. As per management the Lower Unit Packs (‘LUP’) gaining more acceptance in the rural markets and Signs of premiumisation in key segments are observed. This will help the company to ramp up its sales by increasing volume.
· Strong brand recall
The company enjoys a strong brand recall across various categories. Under Pre and post wash fabric category the company’s brands such as Ujala supreme, Ujala detergent and Ujala crisp and shine have strong presence in the market with very good quality. As per company’s management the value share under Ujala Supreme and Ujala detergent is at 84% and 22% (MQ23). Under dishwash brands like Exo bar & scrubber and PRIL liquid enjoy a value market share of 13.8% (YR22) and 14% (MQ FY23) respectively.
Q1 FY24 Financial Analysis
The revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 687 crores, an increase of 3% on YoY basis. The EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs 117 crores, an increase of 95% YoY basis. EBITDA margin for the quarter stood at 17%, an increase of 700 bps on YoY basis. PAT for the quarter stood at Rs 96 crores, double as compared to corresponding quarter’s PAT for last fiscal year.
Risk & Concerns
· High competition
The company faces high competition from other players of the industry. Price differentiation and innovation of products plays a major role for attracting customers under this industry. This further increases the acquisition cost for the customers.
Outlook & Valuation
Jyothy labs is one of the established players of the FMCG industry with strong brand recall of its products. The company is focused on maintaining its product quality along with maintaining strong position in the market. Going forward the company aims to focus on top line growth ahead of category growth to gain market share with focus on strengthening technology led distribution, increased brand building initiatives, focus on BTL activities to drive volume growth. It also aims to take benefit of government led initiatives aimed at rural India, which will help the company to increase its reach on PAN India basis. Overall we believe that growth prospects of the company are strong and operational performance will continue to excel in upcoming quarters.
At CMP of Rs 316, the stock is trading at PE of 33x its FY25E earnings. We recommend ‘BUY’ rating to the stock.