At a Glance
Suraj Products Ltd (SPL) is that small-cap steelmaker you probably ignored while staring at Tata Steel charts. Q1 FY26 saw Revenue ₹80.7 Cr (-13% YoY) and PAT ₹4.6 Cr (-32% YoY). Margins shrank to a wafer-thin 9% OPM as costs bit hard. ROCE is still decent at 17.5%, debt has been cut to ₹21 Cr, and promoters hold a chunky 73.7%. But with the stock down 56% in 1 year, the market clearly doesn’t think this sponge is soaking profits right now.
Introduction
Think of Suraj Products as the middle-class cousin of big steel names. It makes sponge iron, billets, TMT bars, and even dabbles in power. Good products, but small scale. The stock was a multibagger darling once, but FY25 and Q1 FY26 have brought it back to reality faster than iron cools in a blast furnace.
Business Model (WTF Do They Even Do?)
- Products: Sponge Iron → Pig Iron → Ingots/Billets → TMT Bars.
- Also: Captive power generation to cut costs.
- Market: Semi-urban & rural demand, cyclical with construction activity.
- Revenue Mix: Heavily skewed to commodity steel products, making it vulnerable to price swings.
Conclusion? A secondary steel player grinding its way through a tough cycle.
Financials Overview
Q1 FY26 Numbers:
- Revenue ₹80.7 Cr (vs ₹92.6 Cr YoY)
- EBITDA ₹7.3 Cr (margin 9%)
- PAT ₹4.6 Cr (vs ₹6.7 Cr YoY)
- EPS ₹4.03 (vs ₹5.89 YoY)
FY25 Recap:
- Revenue ₹326 Cr (↓5% YoY)
- PAT ₹21 Cr (↓28% YoY)
- EPS ₹18.8
- ROE 15.3% | ROCE 17.5%
Verdict: Cost pressures and lower realizations are hammering profits.
Valuation – Hot Steel or Cold Scrap?
- P/E Multiple
- CMP ₹279 | EPS ₹18.8 → P/E ≈ 15×
- EV/EBITDA
- EBITDA FY25 ₹37 Cr | EV ≈ ₹319 Cr
- EV/EBITDA ≈ 8.6×
- P/BV
- BV ₹131 | P/BV ≈ 2.1×
🎯 Fair Value Range: ₹240–₹300. CMP ₹279 sits at upper band.
What’s Cooking – News, Triggers, Drama
- Land Acquisition in Abu Dhabi (Jul 2025) – 60,910 sqm on 50-year lease; new project cooking.
- Debt Reduced – down to ₹21 Cr from ₹54 Cr in FY23.
- Steel Price Volatility – a double-edged sword.
- Demand Outlook – rural construction uptick may help in H2.
Balance Sheet – Auditor’s Roast
(₹ Cr) | Mar 23 | Mar 24 | Mar 25 |
---|---|---|---|
Total Assets | 172 | 186 | 183 |
Net Worth | 103 | 130 | 149 |
Borrowings | 54 | 41 | 21 |
Liabilities | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Commentary: Debt almost gone. Assets flat. Balance sheet clean, but growth missing.
Cash Flow – Sab Number Game Hai
(₹ Cr) | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
---|---|---|---|
Ops | 33 | 32 | 30 |
Investing | -19 | -1 | -5 |
Financing | -13 | -18 | -24 |
Commentary: Solid cash generation, but financing outflows indicate repayments are eating cash.
Ratios – Sexy or Stressy?
Metric | Value |
---|---|
ROE | 15.3% |
ROCE | 17.5% |
OPM | 11% |
P/BV | 2.1 |
D/E | 0.14 |
Commentary: Low leverage is good. Profitability decent but trending down.
P&L Breakdown – Show Me the Money
(₹ Cr) | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
---|---|---|---|
Revenue | 285 | 345 | 326 |
EBITDA | 48 | 51 | 37 |
PAT | 26 | 29 | 21 |
Commentary: Revenue stagnates, margins squeezed.
Peer Comparison
Company | Rev (₹ Cr) | PAT (₹ Cr) | ROE (%) | P/E |
---|---|---|---|---|
Suraj Products | 314 | 19 | 15.3 | 16.5 |
Godawari Power | 5,376 | 812 | 17.3 | 16.1 |
Jindal Saw | 20,829 | 1,473 | 13.7 | 9.3 |
Gallantt Ispat | 4,261 | 453 | 15.1 | 40.8 |
Commentary: Valuation reasonable vs peers, but scale disadvantage is obvious.
Miscellaneous – Shareholding, Promoters
- Promoters: 73.7% (stable)
- Public: 26.3%
- DIIs/FIIs: negligible
- Corporate Actions: Small dividends (~0.72% yield), no major buybacks.
EduInvesting Verdict™
Suraj Products is a classic case of a small-cap steel player caught between strong fundamentals and weak demand cycles. It deleveraged impressively and maintains healthy margins, but earnings are shrinking due to lower volumes and prices.
Strengths:
- Debt almost gone, healthy ROE/ROCE.
- Low-cost operations, rural demand base.
- Land acquisition hints at expansion.
Weaknesses:
- Revenue contraction, declining margins.
- Small scale, low pricing power.
Opportunities:
- Abu Dhabi project could unlock new growth.
- Steel price rebound can revive profits.
Threats:
- Commodity cycle downturn.
- Any delay in capex execution.
Final Take:
At ₹279, this is neither a deep value play nor a high-growth story. It’s a hold for patient investors who believe in management’s expansion bets. Traders? Wait for better entry.
Written by EduInvesting Team | 30 July 2025
SEO Tags: Suraj Products, Sponge Iron Stocks, Q1 FY26 Results, Smallcap Steel