Dr Lal PathLabs Q4 Results: Profit Falls 27%, Misses Estimates

Dr Lal PathLabs Ltd.’s fourth-quarter profit fell, missing estimates.

The diagnostic and healthcare testing services provider’s net profit stood at Rs 61.3 crore in the three months ended March, down 27% over a year ago, according to its exchange filing. That compares with the Rs 82.3-crore consensus estimate of analysts tracked by Bloomberg.

Excluding consolidation of Suburban Diagnostics, effective Nov. 12, 2022, the company’s after-tax quarterly profit (excluding notional depreciation on consolidation) was 14% lower year-on-year at Rs 72.9 crore.

Q4 FY22 Highlights (YoY)

• Revenue rose 13% to Rs 485.5 crore, compared with the Rs 533.9-crore estimate.

• Ebitda was down 1% to Rs 121.1 crore, against the Rs 141.9-crore forecast.

• Margin contracted to 24.9% from 28.3%. Analysts had projected it at 26.6%.

• Earnings per share stood at Rs 7.41 against Rs 10.1 apiece a year ago and Rs 9.49 estimate.

The company has proposed a final dividend of Rs 6 apiece of face value Rs 10 each. It had paid an interim dividend of Rs 6 in the quarter ended September.

Shares of Dr Lal PathLabs closed 0.97% lower before the results were announced, compared with a 2.54% gain in the benchmark Sensex.