HLE Glascoat (HLEGLAS)
CyclicalFairStock Score: 19/100 — RISKY
Score breakdown: P/E: 0/3 · ROCE: 1/2 · Growth: 0/2 · Dividend: 0/1
Key Financials
| Current Price | ₹327.7 |
| Market Cap | ₹2,276.03 Cr |
| P/E Ratio | 45.45 |
| ROCE | 12.53% |
| ROE | 11.22% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.34% |
| Profit Growth | -84.7% |
| Debt/Equity | 0.56 |
| Sales Growth | 5.9% |
| Promoter Holding | 65.64% |
| 52-Week Range | ₹250 — ₹661.95 |
| Sector | Industrial Manufacturing |
| Book Value | ₹77.8 |
Strengths
- Sales growth of 41.35% indicates robust demand for its products.
- Promoter holding of 65.64% aligns management interests with shareholders.
- ROCE of 12.53% suggests the business generates returns above typical borrowing costs.
- Debt-to-equity of 0.65 is moderate and not overly leveraged.
Concerns
- Profit declined 46.30% despite strong sales growth; latest quarterly net profit is just ₹5 Cr on ₹327 Cr sales, implying a razor-thin margin.
- P/E of 42.73 and P/B of 6.63 are rich for a business with 11.22% ROE.
- Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 indicates weak fundamental health.
- Dividend yield of 0.34% provides negligible income support for shareholders.
AI Analysis
Let me start with the simplest test: what does this business actually earn? In the latest quarter, on sales of ₹327 Cr, it kept only ₹5 Cr of net profit. That is a razor-thin margin, and it explains why profit is down 46.30% even as sales grew 41.35%. Growing revenue without growing profit is like feeding a furnace that burns money. The return on equity is 11.22%, and at ₹326.15 against a book value of ₹49.22, I am paying 6.63 times book for a modest return. The P/E of 42.73 says the market expects great things, but the Piotroski score of 4 out of 9 tells me the fundamentals are not in good shape. Debt-to-equity of 0.65 is manageable, but not a fortress. Promoter holding of 65.64% is good, yet high ownership does not prevent value destruction. The stock has fallen from ₹661.95 to ₹326.15, but a falling knife is not automatically cheap; the business itself has deteriorated. I see a cyclical company with strong topline momentum but severe margin pressure. The PEG ratio of 1.03 would only be meaningful if that enormous sales growth translated into earnings growth, but the latest quarter proves it did not. In Graham's words, 'Price is what you pay, value is what you get.' Here, I need a wide margin of safety to compensate for the risk. At this price, I find none. I would watch from the sidelines, tracking whether margins recover and debt stays controlled. I fail to see an intelligent investment here.
Data from BSE/NSE filings. AI analysis is for educational purposes only — not investment advice. Scoring methodology · Disclaimer