1. At a Glance
VLS Finance Ltd (VLSFL), incorporated in 1986, is a “finance company” that acts less like an NBFC and more like your overenthusiastic uncle’s demat account. CMP = ₹220, Market Cap = ₹768 Cr. Book Value = ₹710 (yes, stock trades at 0.31x P/B). On paper, this screams “deep value.” But wait.
EPS TTM = ₹6.93. P/E = 32. ROE = 1.7%. ROCE = 2.1%. Basically, their return ratios are so low even your savings account is embarrassed. One-year return = –45.5%. 5-year return = +31%. Volatility sharper than Bigg Boss TRPs.
Quarterly Sales = ₹99 Cr. PAT = ₹71 Cr (YoY +39%). Sounds great… until you realise 89% of revenue is just unrealised fair-value changes in investments.
So, is this a finance company, or just a glorified “HNI family office with listing”?
2. Introduction
Picture this: you open VLS Finance’s balance sheet expecting loan books, credit portfolios, interest spreads. Instead, you find ₹1,394 Cr worth of investments sitting pretty, generating “fair value gains/losses.” They also do broking, but only for group companies and associates. Consulting? Yes, but don’t expect McKinsey vibes – it’s more like “bhaiya, yeh IPO lena chahiye kya?”
In January 2024, they even surrendered their Merchant Banker license. Translation: “We are too tired of SEBI asking questions.”
But the real masala is their corporate actions. VLS has proposed multiple buybacks – August 2024 (₹125 Cr), Jan 2023 (₹70 Cr) – because clearly the best way to use cash is to give it back to shareholders instead of building a real business.
Question for you: would you pay 32x
