Maruti Suzuki’s Q2 PAT seen down 25% at Rs 180 crore

MUMBAI: Auto major Maruti Suzuki is likely to report a 25 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 180 crore for the quarter ended September 2012 as compared to a net profit of Rs 240.4 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, according to an ET Now poll.

Total sales for the quarter are seen at Rs 8,150 crore, up 4 per cent as against Rs 7,832 crore in the same period a year ago.

According to the poll, sales volumes are likely to be down 9 per cent, year-on-year (YoY) due to labour issues at the Manesar plant.

EBITDA is seen at Rs 450 crore as against Rs 494 crore in the same quarter the previous year while margins are seen at 5.5 per cent vs 6.3 per cent.

The poll says that the margins are likely to be impacted due to lower diesel car volumes. Average realizations are seen lower by 2-3 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Higher discounts and strong Yen are also likely to impact margins.

The recent wage hikes negotiated with workers will impact profits.

Key things to monitor would be new product launches and the progress on localisation program.

At 11:55 am, the stock was at Rs 1,359.80, down 0.52 per cent, on the BSE. It touched a high of Rs 1,375.75 and a low of Rs 1,358 in trade so far.