GUJARAT RECLAIM & Rubber Products (GRRP

GUJARAT RECLAIM & Rubber Products (GRRP) is likely to see an increase in demand for its recycled rubber with natural and synthetic rubber prices soaring. Being the industry leader, its expansion plans are likely to offer great growth opportunities as acceptance of recycled material increases. Considering its attractive valuations, stable financials and growth prospects, long-term investors can consider this stock.

BUSINESS:

Established in 1974, GRRP is into processing and reclaiming rubber from scrap of tyres and its components or other rubber products for different applications in both tyre and non-tyre rubber products. Nearly twothirds of its sales go to tyre manufacturers. It has plants at Ankleshwar, Panoli and Solapur with a total capacity of 45,000 tonnes with full capacity utilisation.

   GRRP supplies to leading tyre manufacturers such as Ceat, MRF, Apollo Tyres, JK Tyre and Bridgestone. More than half of its revenues come from exports. The company has also set up a power plant in Ankleshwar for captive consumption. The reclaimed rubber industry in India is a mix of 125 small and medium-scale manufacturers.

GROWTH DRIVERS:

At a time when natural rubber prices are ruling at their all time high, the demand for reclaimed rubber is on rise. The company is not only expanding capacities, but also plans to raise prices gradually.

   In December 2009, the company added 6,000 tonne capacity at its Panoli plant, full benefits of which will be available in FY11. The company also has plans to expand its existing plants apart from setting up new units in strategic locations. The company is currently in the process of tying up Rs 63 crore loan to fund these expansions, which could come up over the next couple of years.

   The price of reclaimed rubber stagnated at around Rs 35 per kg in the past two years after steadily rising in the last decade. With sharp rise in natural rubber prices, the demand for reclaimed rubber is likely to increase enabling the producers to increase the prices.

   In the past three years, the proportion of reclaimed rubber in tyres has gone up from 3% to 5%, which is expected to increase to 10% within five years.

FINANCIAL:

The first nine months of FY10 were stagnant for the company, but the fourth quarter registered a sharp 58% jump in net sales with a 54% jump in profits. The lower base effect and additional capacity at Panoli plant were the key reasons behind the spurt. In the past 5 years, the net sales of the company grew at a CAGR of 25.5% while the net profit grew at 26.2%.

   The company has a healthy track record of generating cash flows and paying dividends. In the past three years, the company has consistently brought down the debt-equity ratio to below 0.45 as on March 2010. The company's return on capital employed has averaged at around 40% in the past five years.

VALUATIONS:

At the current market price the stock is trading at a P/E of 8.6. The company is expected to generate earnings per share of Rs 125 for FY11, which translates in a one year forward P/E of 6.9. Low liquidity, however, remains a key concern as the scrip had an average daily traded volume of 480 shares in the past one month.