Raw material costs seen easing as global demand for commodities weakens.
Raw material costs for India Inc are beginning to ease, if the initial set of earnings numbers for the first quarter of the current financial year is any indication.
The pace of growth in revenues and profits appears to be picking up, going by the numbers reported by over 300 companies.
Banks and financial institutions have been excluded while drawing up this picture.
Raw material costs for companies had been on an upswing from late 2009 on the back of rising commodity prices. However, with China intent on cooling its economy and the European crisis unfolding, the global demand scenario for commodities has weakened. This has resulted in the prices of key inputs such as steel and base metals either flattening out or correcting.
The quarter under review saw a 13 per cent decline in raw material spends of the 300 companies over the March ‘10 quarter. Raw material costs took away 30 per cent of sales in the June quarter compared with 34 per cent in the March quarter.
The base effect showed up with input costs still 28 per cent higher than last year levels. However, taking into account the movement of raw material quarter over quarter, cost pressure appears to be easing.
Other components such as staff costs, administration expenses and power costs also saw sizable increases this quarter. Costs of power and fuel, for instance, increased 23 per cent, having declined 15 per cent in the June 2009 quarter.
While such increases may seem rather hefty, as a percentage of sales, these costs have remained the same. Operating margins, therefore, are unlikely to come under pressure as a result of overhead increases. The same goes for interest costs.
While increasing 22 per cent in the June quarter, interest costs have remained at 1.6 per cent of sales, allowing for stable net margins.
Revenue growth
The biggest good news from the initial numbers comes from sales. Net profits (adjusted) clocked a 19 per cent growth in the June ‘10 quarter against the 17 per cent growth in the June ‘09 quarter.
This time around, though, profit growth appears to be spurred by a growth in sales rather than a drop in costs, as was the case in June ‘09. Revenues registered a healthy 20 per cent growth (9.5 per cent).
Operating and net margins have remained more or less the same at 21 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.
Success in my Habit
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Indian telecom user base up 17.98 mn in June
New Delhi: Telecom operators have added 17.98 million new users in June, taking the total telephone subscriber base in the country to 671.69 million.
The wireless subscriber base (GSM, CDMA and fixed wireless phones) reached 635.51 million by the end of June, from 617.53 million in May, registering a growth of 2.91 per cent, according to figures released by telecom regulator TRAI.
The overall teledensity reached 56.83 per cent.
The growth in the wireless category was led by Bharti Airtel, which added three million users, taking its subscriber base to 136.6 million. Vodafone added 2.71 million subscribers in June, taking its user-base to 109 million. Idea Cellular and Aircel added 2.15 million and 1.60 million new users, respectively, during the month. Reliance Communications added 2.83 million new users, while Tata Teleservices added 2.32 million subscribers.
State-run telcos BSNL and MTNL added 1.01 million and 43,881 new users, respectively.
The wireline subscriber base continued to decline and stood at 36.18 million in June from 36.39 million in the previous month. BSNL and MTNL hold 84.09 per cent of the wireline market share. The total broadband subscriber base increased 2.27 per cent to 9.45 million from 9.24 million in May, the report said.
The wireless subscriber base (GSM, CDMA and fixed wireless phones) reached 635.51 million by the end of June, from 617.53 million in May, registering a growth of 2.91 per cent, according to figures released by telecom regulator TRAI.
The overall teledensity reached 56.83 per cent.
The growth in the wireless category was led by Bharti Airtel, which added three million users, taking its subscriber base to 136.6 million. Vodafone added 2.71 million subscribers in June, taking its user-base to 109 million. Idea Cellular and Aircel added 2.15 million and 1.60 million new users, respectively, during the month. Reliance Communications added 2.83 million new users, while Tata Teleservices added 2.32 million subscribers.
State-run telcos BSNL and MTNL added 1.01 million and 43,881 new users, respectively.
The wireline subscriber base continued to decline and stood at 36.18 million in June from 36.39 million in the previous month. BSNL and MTNL hold 84.09 per cent of the wireline market share. The total broadband subscriber base increased 2.27 per cent to 9.45 million from 9.24 million in May, the report said.
Exports in June 2010 touches US$ 17.75 billion
New Delhi: The exports touched US$ 17.75 billion in June 2010, posting a 30.4 per cent growth as compared to the corresponding period in 2009. The exports witnessed a positive growth for the eighth consecutive month on the back of good results reflected by major sectors such as engineering, oil, iron ore, chemicals, gems and jewellery.
According to the Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the first quarter of 2010-11 witnessed 67.8 per cent higher exports from SEZs than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
As per a statement released by the Export Promotion Council, the first quarter exports from SEZs were US$ 12.48 billion.
According to the Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the first quarter of 2010-11 witnessed 67.8 per cent higher exports from SEZs than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
As per a statement released by the Export Promotion Council, the first quarter exports from SEZs were US$ 12.48 billion.
WASH THEM FIRST
WASH THEM FIRST
Please Don't Erase this message before forwarding on! Same applies to Beer.
This is a Serious Problem!
This incident happened recently in North Texas ..
A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke
which she put into the refrigerator of the boat.
On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit.
She died on Wednesday.
The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis.
This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass.
Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and
hence the disease Leptospirosis.
Rat urine contains toxic and deadly substances.
It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part
of all soda cans before drinking out of them.
The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned..
A study at NYCU showed that the tops of all soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e.). full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.
Please forward this message to all the people you care about.
Moderator,
tamilnaduconsumerprotection
Please Don't Erase this message before forwarding on! Same applies to Beer.
This is a Serious Problem!
This incident happened recently in North Texas ..
A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke
which she put into the refrigerator of the boat.
On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit.
She died on Wednesday.
The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis.
This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass.
Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and
hence the disease Leptospirosis.
Rat urine contains toxic and deadly substances.
It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part
of all soda cans before drinking out of them.
The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned..
A study at NYCU showed that the tops of all soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e.). full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.
Please forward this message to all the people you care about.
Moderator,
tamilnaduconsumerprotection
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Vodafone to launch 3G services by year-end
MUMBAI: Vodafone Essar Limited, the Indian subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc, aims to launch 3G mobile services by end-2010, a top company official said.
Broader services of 3G will be available by the first quarter of next year, he added.
"We are ready to launch 3G services in nine circles by this year-end. We are waiting for spectrum allocation. As soon as we get the spectrum, we will be able to launch our services," Vodafone Essar Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Marten Pieters told reporters here today.
Vodafone had secured 3G spectrum in nine circles in the recent 3G auctions for Rs 11,617 crore. The circles included Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (East) and West Bengal, covering over 60 per cent of the company's current customer base.
"Vodafone Essar has secured a critical strategic footprint across the country, particularly in the markets where we expect the main demand for 3G services to be in the next few years. We expect a strong uptake for 3G in these markets, particularly among the higher value customers, which is a growing segment owing to rising affluence and increasing urban population," Pieters said, adding that the customer would have to pay more to get better 3G services.
Commenting on the Indus Tower IPO, Pieters said, "We are in de-merger process and are supporting the initial public offering of Indus Tower. But, it all depends on the financial market and other related issues."
In late 2007, India's top mobile operators -- Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular -- had decided to pool their resources and hive off their towers into an independent firm, Indus Towers, with over one lakh towers.
Vodafone Essar is also open to mergers and acquisitions, if they provide value to the company as well as shareholders.
"If it (M&A) is able to provide a good proposition to us, we will look into that. However, prices and regulations in the current situation are not favourable for mergers," Pieters added.
SpiceJet announces order for 30 new Boeing aircraft
NEW DELHI: A little over a month after announcing a change of management in favour of Sun TV's Kalanithi Maran, private budget carrier SpiceJet Tuesday said it will order 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft to take its fleet size to 58 planes.
The deliveries for the new set of Boeing 737-800s will begin from 2014, while it is also expecting another seven to be dispatched till 2012, all adding to the current fleet size of 21 aircraft.
Thew airline also announced its first quarter results for the current financial year and said its net profit was up at Rs.55.2 crore, against Rs.26.3 crore in the like month of the previous year. Net sales were up at Rs.708 crore against Rs.525 crore.
"We are currently seeing a strong resurgence in domestic air traffic on the back of a robust macro-economic growth," said Kishore Gupta, director of SpiceJet aftrer a board meeting at the airline's headquarters in Gurgaon, in the outskirts of the capital.
"We expect domestic demand to grow at 16 percent during the current year and to sustain 12-14 percent annual growth in the medium-term. The growth will necessitate significant capacity induction," Gupta added.
The decision Tuesday follows SpiceJet announcing it was in the process of evaluating a far more aggressive fleet expansion over the next 18-24 months than originally planned in a bid to offer better value for money for customers.
The new aircraft will incorporate the new, spacious interiors with soft blue lighting, curving architecture and larger window that will offer a sense of spaciousness in the cabin and comfort for the passengers.
It will also offer larger stowage bins, where passengers can store their luggage closer to their seats, thereby reducing the anxiety they may have felt in the past, the budget airline said.
"Finally, the combination of noise-dampening material against the air plane's interior skin and the design of the new integrated air grille will make the cabin quieter for a more comfortable flight."
SpiceJet commands a little over 13 percent market share in India, delivering one of the lowest air fares. It operates 141 flights daily to 19 cities with 99.6 of its flights keeping its schedules.
Oracle's Ellison highest paid CEO of the decade: Report
WASHINGTON: Oracle Corporation founder and chief executive Larry Ellison topped the list of best-paid executives of the decade with 1.84 billiondollars, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The 65-year-old software pioneer, who founded Oracle in 1977, beat Internet tycoon Barry Diller into second place on just over one billion dollars.
Ellison has a 23 percent stake in the company, the Journal reported in Monday's editions.
In the 10 years ended May 31, 2009, the most recent fiscal year for which Oracle has disclosed pay data, its market capitalization nearly tripled, to 98 billion dollars, up from 36 billion, and has risen even more since, it said.
In second place on the compensation list was Diller, who received some 1.14 billion dollars from IAC/Interactive and Expedia Inc, the online travel site IAC spun off in 2005, where he remains chairman.
Occidental Petroleum Corp. CEO Ray Irani came in third place, with 857 million dollars.
Apple's Steve Jobs was fourth with 749 million dollars.
Jobs took a one dollar annual salary throughout the decade, but ranked fourth primarily because of a 647 million dollar gain on restricted stock that was granted in 2003 and vested in 2006. He still holds the shares.
Reliance Industries Q1 net up 32%, beats forecast
MUMBAI: Reliance Industries posted a 32 percent rise in quarterly profit, beating estimates, helped by higher gas output from its fields off India's east coast. ( Watch )
India's largest listed conglomerate with interests in petrochemicals, refining, oil and gas exploration, and retail, posted April-June net profit of Rs 4,851 crore ($1.04 billion) versus Rs 3,666 crore a year earlier.
During the quarter, the country's largest company saw its total income soaring by 85 per cent to Rs 58,950 crore from Rs 31,896 crore in the year-ago period.
Reliance, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, said the year-ago result had been restated to include figures from Reliance Petroleum, which it absorbed last year.
Shares of Reliance Industries today closed at Rs 1,053.50 on the BSE, up 0.14 per cent from the previous close.
Reliance shares valued at around $74 billion, have fallen 3.4 percent in 2010, while the Mumbai market has gained 3.5 percent.
BP's CEO Tony Hayward quits as oil spill cost put at $32 bn
LONDON: BP Plc chief executive Tony Hayward will step down as head of the oil giant on Oct. 1 and be replaced by fellow executive Robert Dudley News of Hayward's departure came as the company announced on Tuesday it would take a charge as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill amounting to $32.2 billion, driving BP to a second quarter loss of $16.97 billion.
"The tragedy of the Macondo well explosion and subsequent environmental damage has been a watershed," chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said, announcing Hayward's departure. "BP remains a strong business ... but it will be a different company going forward."
BP said Dudley, currently head of BP's U.S. operations, would be based in London and hand over his present duties to Lamar McKay. Hayward will receive a year's salary amounting to 1.045 million pounds ($1.6 million). Excluding oil spill and other non-operating costs, BP's replacement cost profit was $4.98 billion, in line with the average forecast from a Reuters poll of 11 analysts.
Replacement cost profit strips out gains or losses related to changes in the value of fuel inventories and as such is comparable with net income under U.S. accounting rules.
In a third statement BP said it planned to sell assets worth up to $30 billion over the next 18 months and cut its net debt level down to between $10 billion and $15 billion over the next 18 months. The company said it would consider its position on future dividend payments at the time of its fourth-quarter results
"The tragedy of the Macondo well explosion and subsequent environmental damage has been a watershed," chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said, announcing Hayward's departure. "BP remains a strong business ... but it will be a different company going forward."
BP said Dudley, currently head of BP's U.S. operations, would be based in London and hand over his present duties to Lamar McKay. Hayward will receive a year's salary amounting to 1.045 million pounds ($1.6 million). Excluding oil spill and other non-operating costs, BP's replacement cost profit was $4.98 billion, in line with the average forecast from a Reuters poll of 11 analysts.
Replacement cost profit strips out gains or losses related to changes in the value of fuel inventories and as such is comparable with net income under U.S. accounting rules.
In a third statement BP said it planned to sell assets worth up to $30 billion over the next 18 months and cut its net debt level down to between $10 billion and $15 billion over the next 18 months. The company said it would consider its position on future dividend payments at the time of its fourth-quarter results
Monday, July 12, 2010
SBI, RIL in Fortune 500 global list
Eight Indian companies, including oil major Indian Oil Corporation and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, have made the cut in the list of the world's 500 largest companies compiled by Fortune.
The league of 500 elite companies for 2010 is topped by US retailer Wal-Mart Stores, followed by oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and another oil major, Exxon Mobil, in that order.
Besides IOC and RIL, the other Indian companies in the list are steel-maker Tata Steel, auto company Tata Motors, oil entities Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Oil & Natural Gas and public sector bank SBI.
Tata Motors has made an entry into the list for the first time this year, while seven other Indian entities, which were part of the list in the previous year as well, are also featured in this list.
The list also features Citigroup, ArcelorMittal, Pepsico and Motorola, four companies led by people with Indian roots.
IOC has the highest rank of 125 among the featured Indian companies, followed by RIL at the 175th spot, SBI (282), BPCL (307), HPCL (354), Tata Steel (410), ONGC (413) and Tata Motors (442).
According to the magazine, IOC had revenues to the tune of USD 54.28 billion, RIL USD 41.08 billion, SBI USD 28.21 billion, BPCL USD 26.59 billion, HPCL USD 23.88 billion, Tata Steel USD 21.58 billion, ONGC USD 21.44 billion and Tata Motors USD 19.5 billion.
Vikram Pandit-led Citigroup is at 33rd place, with revenues of USD 108.78 billion, while NRI billionaire L N Mittal's ArcelorMittal bagged the 99th position with revenues worth USD 65.11 billion.
Pepsico, run by Indira Nooyi, was ranked at 171st place with revenues of USD 43.23 billion and Sanjay Jha's Motorola is at the 391st place, with USD 22.06 billion in revenues.
Interestingly, American companies have cornered 139 seats in the list, followed by Japan with 71, and then China, with 46 seats. This year, there are 12 Fortune Global 500 companies run by women, compared to 13 last year.
The magazine said that Wal-Mart Stores had revenues to the tune of USD 408. 21 billion, while Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil raked in revenues worth USD 285.12 billion and USD 284.65 billion, respectively.
Others on the list include BP at fourth place, followed by Toyota Motor (5th), Japan Post Holdings (6th), Sinopec (7th), State Grid (8th), AXA (9th) and China National Petroleum (10th.)
The league of 500 elite companies for 2010 is topped by US retailer Wal-Mart Stores, followed by oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and another oil major, Exxon Mobil, in that order.
Besides IOC and RIL, the other Indian companies in the list are steel-maker Tata Steel, auto company Tata Motors, oil entities Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Oil & Natural Gas and public sector bank SBI.
Tata Motors has made an entry into the list for the first time this year, while seven other Indian entities, which were part of the list in the previous year as well, are also featured in this list.
The list also features Citigroup, ArcelorMittal, Pepsico and Motorola, four companies led by people with Indian roots.
IOC has the highest rank of 125 among the featured Indian companies, followed by RIL at the 175th spot, SBI (282), BPCL (307), HPCL (354), Tata Steel (410), ONGC (413) and Tata Motors (442).
According to the magazine, IOC had revenues to the tune of USD 54.28 billion, RIL USD 41.08 billion, SBI USD 28.21 billion, BPCL USD 26.59 billion, HPCL USD 23.88 billion, Tata Steel USD 21.58 billion, ONGC USD 21.44 billion and Tata Motors USD 19.5 billion.
Vikram Pandit-led Citigroup is at 33rd place, with revenues of USD 108.78 billion, while NRI billionaire L N Mittal's ArcelorMittal bagged the 99th position with revenues worth USD 65.11 billion.
Pepsico, run by Indira Nooyi, was ranked at 171st place with revenues of USD 43.23 billion and Sanjay Jha's Motorola is at the 391st place, with USD 22.06 billion in revenues.
Interestingly, American companies have cornered 139 seats in the list, followed by Japan with 71, and then China, with 46 seats. This year, there are 12 Fortune Global 500 companies run by women, compared to 13 last year.
The magazine said that Wal-Mart Stores had revenues to the tune of USD 408. 21 billion, while Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil raked in revenues worth USD 285.12 billion and USD 284.65 billion, respectively.
Others on the list include BP at fourth place, followed by Toyota Motor (5th), Japan Post Holdings (6th), Sinopec (7th), State Grid (8th), AXA (9th) and China National Petroleum (10th.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)