Is it time to nibble at Coimbatore textile stocks?

Investors may find the share prices of Coimbatore-based textile companies alluring.

The stocks dived recently, in the wake of poor Q1 performance following high interest rates and rising raw material costs. But a change in the market sentiment — on the stocks and textiles fronts — may pull the scrips up.

But some are cautious about these stocks. The primary reason seemed to be the recent statement by the Chairman of the Southern India Mills' Association, Mr S. Dinakaran, that the Indian textile industry has suffered a loss of over Rs 15,000 crore this year due to volatile cotton and yarn prices.

However, there are several positives for contemplating investments in these stocks from the region. Some of the firms are either in niche sectors or have diversified. Their fortunes may look up soon as rising raw material costs or high bank interest rates can correct. Moreover, there is a hidden value in these companies due to high replacement costs. Some of them also have low equity base, making them value picks due to growth potential. The companies also have huge cash reserves.

Ambika Cotton is a player in the niche yarn market that has significant export exposure. The major attraction is its very low equity base — a mere Rs 5.87 crore. It has a reserve of Rs 169.55 crore. Its share price has sharply declined over a year — from Rs 298 to Rs 174.05 (closing NSE price on October 14. K.P.R. Mill has subsidiaries Quantum Knits Pvt Ltd and KPR Sugar Mill Ltd; the latter was yet to start operation when Q1 results were announced. The equity base is relatively large at Rs 37.68 crore; nearly 75 per cent of it is with the promoters. It has reserve of Rs 543.67 crore. The share has come under significant selling pressure. From its year's high of Rs 246.85, the share dived to Rs 96.90.

Precot Meridian is a seasoned player in the cotton spinning sector and has expressed a desire to explore the possibility of venturing into technical textiles. It is a good dividend payer — last year it paid a dividend of Rs 10 a share. That its equity base is very small at Rs 6.95 crore gives it an edge. Precot has a reserve of Rs 158.54 crore. This share also has suffered significant value erosion — from a 52-week high of Rs 283, the scrip slipped to Rs 107 on the NSE on Friday.

Bannari Amman Spinning Mills comes from the Bannari Amman Sugars family. The equity base is Rs 15.75 crore and reserve is Rs 191.96 crore.

This stock too has come under selling pressure and from a high of Rs 165.45 a year ago, on the NSE, has now come down to Rs 62.30.

KG Denim has performed relatively well. But its stock price moved from a high of Rs 22.40 a year ago to Rs 9.50 now.

A veteran Coimbatore-based analyst put it succinctly, saying textile brands do not indicate quality but fashion. As fashion is fickle, so are textile stocks. He said they were not for long-term holding for wealth generation, but should be churned faster; and investors should ride the rally. They should prune holdings once they achieve their targeted prices as such stocks are not a ‘long-term bet'.

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