Sucheta Dalal :Tara Foods is not so healthy
Sucheta Dalal

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Tara Foods is not so healthy  

April 27, 2010

Tara Health Foods Limited (THFL) hits the market on 28 April 2010. The company is into cattle/poultry feed, refining and blending of edible oil and solvent extraction. It also makes animal foods and edible oils. THFL posted a net profit of Rs16.99 crore in the year ended March 2009 compared to Rs9.01 crore in the corresponding period last year on a total income of Rs198.24 crore and Rs106.10 crore respectively.

 

Its price earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 24.73 based on profits for the period ended 31 December 2009. As on 31 December, 2009, the company had a total debt of Rs140.18 crore, representing a debt to equity ratio of 1.49:1. Although there are no strictly comparable stocks from cattle/poultry feed manufacturing companies, other edible oil firms like Anik Industries Ltd (16.50), Murli Industries Ltd (9.4) and Gokul Refoils & Solvent Ltd (8.54) sport lower P/E multiples.

 

THFL has 120 tonnes per day (tpd) of refining capacity, 250tpd of solvent extraction and 250tpd of cattle/poultry feed manufacturing capacity. The company is planning to set up 300tpd of refining capacity and 250tpd of cattle/poultry feed manufacturing facilities at its existing facilities from the proceeds of the IPO.

 

Most of the company’s operations are in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Bihar. The company’s products face stiff competition from organised and unorganised players. In the previous one year, the company has made an allotment of 5.20 lakh shares and 2 lakh shares to Tara Heart Care Products Ltd (a promoter group company) at Rs70 per share and at Rs200 per share respectively.


The issue opens on 28 April 2010 and closes on 30 April 2010. Fitch Ratings has assigned it an ‘IPO Grade 2’, indicating ‘below average’ fundamentals. The company plans to raise Rs180 crore-Rs190 crore at a price band of Rs180-Rs190 per share by issuing 1 crore shares. The proceeds will be utilised for setting up a new edible oil refining plant at an existing location, expansion of cattle feed plant, for working capital requirement, and brand-building in the domestic market. Atherstone Capital Ltd is the lead book-running manager for the issue.— Moneylife Digital Team


-- Sucheta Dalal