Realty major DLF to become debt-free in next one year
New Delhi: Realty major DLF's net debt rose 31 per cent during July-September to Rs 4,461 crore from the previous quarter, but the company exuded confidence that borrowings will come down to an "insignificant level" in the next one year on higher sales.
DLF's net sales bookings rose by 16 per cent to Rs 725 crore in the second quarter of this fiscal as against Rs 625 crore in the year-ago period.
At the beginning of the fiscal, DLF had given a sales guidance of Rs 2,700 crore for the entire 2019-20 financial year, the company said in a presentation.
Net debt rose to Rs 4,461 crore as on September 30, 2019, from Rs 3,416 crore at the end of the first quarter of this fiscal. The company borrowed over Rs 2,000 crore during July-September 2019.
"It will take about four quarters to reduce our level to insignificant level," DLF's Wholetime Director Ashok Tyagi said in an investor call. In the presentation, DLF said it is left with unsold inventory of Rs 10,145 crore as against the peak of about Rs 15,000 crore.
On Thursday, DLF reported a 19 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 445.85 crore for the second quarter of this fiscal year and announced appointment of Vivek Anand as the group chief financial officer (CFO). The company's net profit stood at Rs 374.74 crore in the year-ago period.
Total income, however, fell to Rs 1,940.05 crore in the July-September quarter of 2019-20 as against Rs 2,304.9 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.
During the second quarter, DLF's tax outgo fell to Rs 74.21 crore from Rs 139.31 crore in the year-ago period, while its operational expenses dropped to Rs 1,827.89 crore from Rs 2,031.39 crore. The company earned an exceptional profit of Rs 143.56 crore during the July-September quarter.
In a statement, DLF said that its promoters infused the last tranche of funds amounting to Rs 2,250 crore into the company in the second quarter.
With a total infusion of Rs 11,250 crore, this is one of the largest infusion by promoters in an Indian company. DLF has now successfully completed the entire process of transformation of its balance sheet, it added.
The company said it will now work to monetise its completed inventory as well as create the future pipeline of projects to fuel growth. "Our strategy of build and sell has worked out to be a successful one. Given the overhang owing to numerous factors, the markets are expected to lean towards developments which are either complete or at advanced stages of completion and mitigate various risks perceived to be attached to under construction projects.
"Given this belief, the company has embarked on development of new asset build-out at select marquee locations, in both residential and commercial segments, which will enable sizeable build over the time period in which existing inventory gets sold," Tyagi said.
