Gammon Infrastructure Projects – Avoid

IPO RecommendationGammon India Ltd, the flagship company of the Gammon Group, is among the leading construction companies in India and also the company which built the Hyderabad Flyover that collapsed 🙂 [Gamoon Infra]GIPL has 14 projects under its asset portfolio. The projects are fairly diverse spreading across roads, bridges, ports, hydro power projects and biomass power projects. The company is fairly small and hence seeing good growth rates. However, in construction we need scale and size matters. (more…)

Gitanjali Gems acquires Trinity Watch Company

Gitanjali Gems has informed us that in continuance of company’s policy towards strategic acquisition, company has acquired Trinity Watch Company through its wholly owned subsidiary Gitanjali Lifestyle.

Further the company has informed that, the Trinity Watch Company is engaged in the business of sale of watches under its registered premium brand ‘Iris’. The company also distributes various international watch brands under license from various principals.

The demand for premium watches is on the rise as we saw launch of Hamilton and Leon Hatot watches in India in October 2007.

Hedging Loss Haunts L&T

L&T could incur loss of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore from commodity hedging in the year ending March 2008 (FY 2008). The company expects overall margin expansion to offset the losses from commodity hedging.

Brokerage Motilal Oswal Securities had, in a client note, said Larsen & Toubro (L&T) International FZE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, was expected to incur marked-to-market losses on commodity hedging transactions during FY 2008.

Motilal Oswal, which maintained its neutral rating on L&T stock, said it had downgraded its earnings forecast for L&T FZE and expected it to now report a net loss of Rs 92.4 crore in FY 2008, compared to a profit of Rs 85.10 crore a year earlier. It said it had also revised downward its consolidated net profit estimates for L&T to Rs 2400 crore in FY 2008 from a previous estimate of Rs 2590 crore.

Morgan downgrades ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank 12 Months Price ChartIndia’s worst bank – ICICI Bank just a while ago was downgraded by Morgan Stanley from Overweight to Equalweight. Our Analyst on the 5th of March wrote asking if ICICI Bank was hiding the facts of sub-prime and it appears to be so after reading the Morgan Stanley report.

Nearly 55% of ICBK’s loan growth comes from its international loan book, which is wholesale funded. Credit spreads for ICBK have spiked, which will impact loan & fees income growth in F2009. (more…)

Kotak Mahindra Bank Downgraded – Morgan

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s heavy exposure to Capital markets for income has led it to a downgrade by Morgan Stanley. Market turnover in India is down 55% from peak levels. Kotak has multiple leverage to markets with both earnings and multiples, which are, dependent on the strength of the equity markets. Even now it is trading at 25x F2009E earnings (which could be revised down further if markets remain weak). (more…)