SRG Housing Finance Ltd - May 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Analysis

  ·   4 min read

Earnings Call Transcript Analysis Report #

Financial Performance #

Key Financial Metrics: #

  • Earnings Per Share (EPS): INR 17 for FY25, up from INR 15 in FY24.
  • Return on Assets (ROA): Current ROA is 3.17%, down from 3.56% in March of the previous year. Management attributes this to an increase in equity.
  • Loan Book Composition (FY25):
    • Housing Loan: 73%
    • Loan Against Property (LAP): 27%
    • Salaried Loan: 26%
    • Self-employed Loan: 74%
  • Average Ticket Size (Housing Loan): INR 8 lakhs.
  • Average Loan-to-Value (LTV): 44%.
  • Borrowings: Outstanding borrowing at INR 584 crores (up from INR 491 crores last year).
    • Bank: 46%
    • Financial Institutions (FIs): 48%
    • National Housing Bank (NHB): 6%
  • Liquidity: INR 55 crores in liquid funds.
  • Credit Cost: Management states current credit cost is 1.82% (down from 2.24% in March of the previous year), though an analyst question referred to a recent increase to 60 bps.
  • Stage 2 Assets: 0.46% of the book.
  • EPS has shown year-over-year growth.
  • ROA has decreased, primarily explained by equity infusion. Management expects this to improve.
  • Borrowings have increased to support loan book growth.

Revised Guidance or Forecasts: #

  • ROA Outlook: Expected to cross 3.5% in the next year (FY26) and potentially 4% thereafter.
  • AUM Guidance:
    • FY25 (ending): Aiming for around INR 750 crores.
    • FY26: Targeting INR 1,000 - 1,100 crores.
    • FY27: Targeting around INR 1,500 crores.
  • Disbursement Guidance:
    • FY26: Around INR 400 crores.
    • FY27: Around INR 500 crores.

Areas of Growth or Decline: #

  • Growth: Loan book, EPS, geographical presence, branch network.
  • Decline (Temporary/Explained): ROA (due to equity), OpEx as a percentage of AUM is expected to decline going forward after recent increases due to expansion.

Strategic Initiatives & Business Updates #

Major Strategic Announcements: #

  • Completion of significant branch expansion, reaching 90 branches.
  • Recent equity fundraising of INR 80 crores, including a 9.17% stake acquisition by M3 Investment Pvt. Ltd.
  • Hiring of experienced management personnel to support Pan-India operations.

New Products, Services, or Markets Discussed: #

  • Expansion into new states: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.
  • Future expansion planned for Tamil Nadu and Telangana within the next 10 branches post achieving INR 1,000 crore AUM.
  • Continued focus on affordable housing in semi-urban and rural areas.

Significant Operational Changes: #

  • Establishment of a Bombay corporate office.
  • Stabilization of OpEx expected after the current phase of expansion.
  • Branch network to be capped at 100 branches for the next 2-3 years after reaching that number.

Ongoing or Completed Projects: #

  • Geographical diversification is well underway.
  • Improvement of credit rating to BBB+; targeting A- upon reaching INR 1,000 crore AUM.

Market & Competitive Landscape #

  • Competition is higher in urban areas for housing finance.
  • The rural and semi-urban affordable housing segment is perceived as less penetrated and offers growth opportunities.
  • NHB guidelines mandating 70% portfolio in Housing Loans (HL) impacts product mix flexibility (reducing scope for higher-yield LAP).

Competitive Positioning Statements: #

  • SRG Housing Finance focuses on rural and semi-urban areas where larger players have less presence.
  • The company differentiates by its deep understanding and focus on this niche segment.

Market Challenges or Opportunities Mentioned: #

  • Opportunity: Under-penetrated rural and semi-urban markets.
  • Challenge: General economic slowdowns can impact the finance industry, though management feels their segment is relatively insulated.

Comments about Market Share or Positioning: #

  • The company does not aim for a very large market share but focuses on profitable growth within its chosen segment and geographies. They are comfortable with their current loan booking capacity.

Risk Factors & Challenges #

Concerns or Challenges Acknowledged by Management: #

  • Past impact of rising interest rates on fixed-rate loan book NIM (now expected to reverse with falling rates).
  • Increased OpEx due to recent rapid expansion, though this is expected to normalize and reduce as a percentage of AUM.
  • Analyst concern about increased credit cost (60bps), though management stated their overall credit cost has reduced (1.82% from 2.24%).

Regulatory Issues Mentioned: #

  • NHB guideline to maintain 70% of portfolio as Housing Loans, limiting LAP business (which offered higher yields).
  • NHB and banks tightening lending norms in general.

Supply Chain or Operational Constraints: #

  • Initial operational costs associated with setting up new branches and hiring in new geographies.
  • Past delays in getting administrative support for SARFAESI actions, which is now improving.

Market Uncertainties: #

  • General economic volatility is a perennial factor in the finance industry.

Forward-Looking Statements #

Outlook and Future Projections: #

  • ROA: To cross 3.5% in FY26, aiming for 4% eventually.
  • AUM: INR 1,000-1,100 crores in FY26, INR 1,500 crores in FY27.
  • NIM: Expected to improve due to falling interest rates, increased ticket sizes in new states, and operational leverage.
  • PAT: Expected to grow faster than AUM due to improving NIM and stabilizing OpEx.