Goetze India gets Care ''PR1'' rating

By Our Banking Bureau | 24 Dec 2004

Mumbai: CARE has assigned a 'PR1 [PR One]' rating to the Goetze India's (GIL) proposed short term debt programme (restricted to commercial paper, short term debentures and bank borrowings) aggregating Rs90crore (enhanced from Rs85crore). The company has also retained the 'A+' [single A plus] rating assigned its Rs10-crore non-convertible debentures (NCDs), redeemable in eight equal quarterly instalments, with a moratorium of one year from the date of allotment.

These ratings factor in GIL's dominant position in the pistons and piston rings industry, growth in operations, access to technology through tie-ups and sustained relationships with a large number of automobile companies as preferred original equipment (OEM) supplier. The rating is, however, constrained by high gearing, tight liquidity position, limited ability to pass on increases in the cost of raw materials to its customers and cyclicality in the automobile sector.

Incorporated in 1954, GIL was set up in technical and financial collaboration with Goetze AG, Germany. Goetze AG is now a part of Federal Mogul Inc (USA), a leading global player in automotive components. Pistons and piston rings are GIL's main products, and it is the market leader in most segments in this field, with an aggregate market share of around 40 per cent in FY'04.

Total income from operations during FY'04 grew to Rs407crore, a growth of 32 per cent on an annualised basis over FY'03, on account of favourable market conditions and growth in the automobile sector. PBILDT margin declined to 19.5 per cent in FY'04 from 22.2 per cent in FY'03, mainly on account of an increase in the prices of raw materials like aluminum, nickel, etc, which cannot be fully passed on to its customers. Overall gearing of the company decreased to 2.7 times (as on 31 March 2004) from 3.4 times (as on 31 March 2003).