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ALKEM Diversified 26 Jul 2024

Alkem Laboratories Limited — Q1 FY25

Alkem Laboratories reported a strong Q1 FY25 with EBITDA margin expanding 700 bps YoY to 20.1%, driven by favorable API pricing, improved product mix, and cost controls.

bullish high
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Revenue ₹3,032 Cr
EBITDA
PAT ₹545 Cr
EBITDA Margin 20.1% +700bps
Duration
Read Time 1 min read

✓ Verified against BSE filing

Questions answered83%
Questions audited12
Evaded / deflected1
Numbers vs filingContradicted
Claim Ledger

Did management answer the analysts?

Every material analyst question, graded on whether management actually answered it — with the verbatim exchange and quantitative claims checked against filed numbers.

Answered High priority

Near-term opportunity for Mira Background product

Asked by Kunal Dhamesha, Macquarie

Management clearly stated the product cannot launch before 2026-2027 due to settlement agreement.

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Question
One question on this product called Mira Background. I believe we have a tentative approval for this product. So, should we be keen as a near-term opportunity for us?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
we are bound by the settlement agreement that we have with the innovator. So unless, you know, the final outcome of all the litigations on the patent, you know, are clear, you know, we would not be... I don't see it getting launched... before the agreement date and which would be somewhere, I would say 2026 or 2027
Partial answer High priority

Change in profitability guidance and drivers of improvement

Asked by Kunal Dhamesha, Macquarie

Management cited drivers but maintained same annual guidance, not fully addressing the implied improvement.

guidance unchanged despite improvementno specific margin number for Q1
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Question
we had given a full year guidance or a medium-term guidance that every year, we'll improve it by 100 to 250 basis points. So where do we stand? Is there a meaningful change in the way we look at profitability now for our business? And what has led to this meaningful improvement?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
reasons for this improved profitability, one is a good product mix. Second is, you know, improvement in the API pricing... strong cost control initiatives... As far as the overall profitability numbers... our guidance has been close to 13%, and we maintain the same for the year
Answered Medium priority

Forex gain/loss for the quarter and where it is booked

Asked by Kunal Dhamesha, Macquarie

Management provided the exact forex gain amount and where it is booked.

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Question
in terms of the forex gain or losses, can you highlight that number for this quarter, and where is it baked into our numbers?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
this is mostly from Chile this year, in this quarter, you know, that we have had it to the tune of- Fifteen crores. INR 15 crore, you know, as forex gain... That is reported as part of other income.
Answered High priority

Full year margin expectation: 18% or 19%?

Asked by Speaker 10, Elara Capital

Management clearly stated margin expected around 18% for the full year.

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Question
For the full year, I just heard your answer to the earlier question. Does it mean for the full year, with the margin you are expecting similar to last year's 18% or 100 basis points improvement on top of that, which makes it 19%?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
operationally, you know, we would be improving it, but because we have new investments to make... which will dilute our EBITDA, you know, by, say, another 1%. So net-net... should be somewhere around 18.
Answered High priority

Stickiness of gross margin improvement and impact of product mix

Asked by Neha Manpuria, Bank of America

Management gave a clear estimate of 2% impact from product mix and stated API pricing stability.

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Question
how much of this gross margin improvement that we've seen is sticky... how much of this could sustain even if the product mix becomes inferior over the rest of the quarter?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
I see the API pricing, you know, remaining more or less stable now... product mix change might impact margins, you know, for two quarters, you know, it by say 2%.
Answered High priority

Quantification of gross margin improvement from API pricing

Asked by Neha Manpuria, Bank of America

Management confirmed the 150 bps improvement estimate.

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Question
last year we saw about 61% margin in the entire year. So given the benefit of API pricing... is already benefiting us by 100-150 basis points. Is that a right assessment?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
last year our gross margin was 61%. This year... we see it into further improvement of around, say, 150 basis points in our gross margin for the full year.
Answered High priority

Details on investments in future growth opportunities and timeline

Asked by Neha Manpuria, Bank of America

Management provided investment amount and expected breakeven timeline.

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Question
If you could highlight, you know, what these opportunities are... how long do you think this investment continues, and when do we start seeing revenue from these opportunities?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
we are investing in our Enzene US entity... total investment is around between INR 400 crore-INR 450 crore... maybe from FY 26, 18 we'll see a positive result from this.
Answered Medium priority

Price volume and new launches growth in domestic formulation

Asked by Viral Shah, Motilal Oswal

Management provided specific growth components for domestic formulation.

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Question
If you could let me know regarding the price volume and new launches growth in domestic formulation segment.
Vikas Gupta, CEO
we have had a volume growth of close to around 1.5%. We have the new launches have contributed to around 2.5% and, you know, balances are, I would say, price growth, which is again close to 2.5%.
Answered Medium priority

Price erosion in US generic base business

Asked by Viral Shah, Motilal Oswal

Management stated single-digit price erosion continues.

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Question
Can you also let me know regarding the price erosion in base business for U.S. generic?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
U.S. generic, you know, is seeing a single digit price erosion. That trend continues, even for this quarter.
Evasive High priority

Why EBITDA margin guidance unchanged despite higher gross margin guidance

Asked by Speaker 11, Equarius

Management did not explain why EBITDA margin guidance remains unchanged despite higher gross margin guidance.

did not address the discrepancyrepeated previous guidance
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Question
considering we are increasing our guide, gross margin guidance to 2.5, yet our EBITDA margin guidance more or less remains same. Is there anything which I am missing out?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
in our last call also, we have shared that our gross margin for the full year will be in the range of 62%-64%.
Answered High priority

US outlook for FY25: product launches and growth expectation

Asked by Kunal Dhamesha, Macquarie

Management provided growth expectation and specific product launch details.

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Question
In terms of U.S. outlook for FY 25, in terms of product launches and your growth expectation, if you could provide some color here.
Vikas Gupta, CEO
we are looking at a single digit growth, you know, from the first market... we launched, in generic Supretend in Q1. In Q2, you know, we've just introduced, Dabigatran... I look forward to around 8-10 filings that we would do, you know, in the current, financial year.
Partial answer Medium priority

Quantification of additional cost from new initiatives

Asked by Saurabh Kapadia, Sundaram Mutual Funds

Management gave EBITDA impact but did not quantify the absolute cost.

not quantifying the costonly gave EBITDA impact
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Question
In terms of the additional cost you mentioned because of the new initiative, can you quantify what could be the cost, and will it be starting from Q2 or it will be more back ended?
Vikas Gupta, CEO
mostly it will be starting from Q3 onwards. And we are not quantifying, clarifying it, but the impact on EBITDA will be around, say, 0.5 PPT point in the current year for say, quarter three and quarter four.
Quantitative claims vs filed numbers
ClaimManagement saidFilingVerdict
Gross margin improvement of 150 bps for full year 150 bps 700 bps Understated vs filing

Filed figures sourced from Screener.in. Claims within a small tolerance of the filing are marked “matches filing”.