Rating Rationale
July 05, 2022 | Mumbai
ASL Enterprises Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.45.5 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A3 (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its CRISIL BBB-/Stable/CRISIL A3’ ratings on the bank facilities of ASL Enterprises Limited (ASL).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the steel trading industry and their established relationships with customers and suppliers. The ratings also factor in the comfortable business and healthy financial risk profiles of the company. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility of operating margin to volatility in steel prices and cyclicality in the infrastructure and real estate sectors.

Key rating drivers & detailed description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters and established customer relationships: The three-decade-long presence of the promoters in the steel products trading segment and their healthy relationships with suppliers (primarily Steel Authority of India Ltd), and the diversified clientele, will continue to  support the business risk profile. The company caters to reputed auto ancillary units as well as large players such as L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Ltd.

 

  • Comfortable business risk profile:  Revenue is estimated around Rs 410.47 crore in fiscal 2022, vis-à-vis Rs 229.89 crore in fiscal 2021, driven by higher demand from existing customers and improved steel prices. The company also undertakes job-work for new customers, which involves cutting flat steel products. The topline is expected to grow at a steady pace over the medium term. However, the operating margin is low estimated around 2.90% in fiscal 2022, constrained by the trading nature of business.

 

  • Healthy financial risk profile: Financial risk profile is marked by moderate networth and total outside liabilities to tangible networth (TOL/TNW) ratios estimated around Rs 47 crore and 1.11 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2022. Debt protection metrics are strong, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios, estimated around 3.39 times and 0.16 time, respectively, for fiscal 2022.

 
Weakness:

  • Susceptibility to volatility in steel prices, and cyclicality in the infrastructure and real estate sectors: Operating margin has been volatile and range bound at 2.9-4.5% over the four fiscals through March 2022, mainly due to fluctuation in steel prices. Profitability is further linked to fortunes of the infrastructure and real estate sectors, which are inherently cyclical and strongly correlated with overall growth in gross domestic product.

Liquidity: Adequate

Liquidity is marked by expected cash accrual of Rs 8-10 crore against term debt obligations in the medium term. Bank limit utilisation was moderate averaging around 83.02% for the 12 months through May 2022.  Current ratio is moderate, estimated at 1.47 times on March 31, 2022. Low gearing and moderate networth provide the financial cushion to raise additional debt in case of any adverse conditions or downturn in the business.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes ASL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoters in the steel trading business.

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Sustained revenue growth and profitability with operating margin of around 5%.
  • Better working capital management

 

Downward factors

  • Decline in profitability leading to cash accrual below Rs 2 crore
  • Any major debt-funded capital expenditure, straining the capital structure

About the company

ASL commenced operations in 1987, having been set up as a part of the Jamshedpur-based ASL group. The company trades in hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel coils, steel plates, and structural steel products. It has also set up a cutting and sleeking line for flat steel products and undertakes fabrication work. The company also deals in passenger cars of Tata Motors Ltd (rated ‘CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+’).

Key financial indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2021

2020

Operating income

Rs crore

229.89

174.66

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

0.99

1.34

PAT margin

%

0.43

0.77

Adjusted debt/Adjusted networth

Times

0.70

1.10

Interest coverage

Times

2.69

1.73

 

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

Annexure - Details of instrument(s)

ISIN

Name of instrument

Date of allotment

Coupon

rate (%)

Maturity

date

Issue size

(Rs crore)

Complexity

levels

Rating assigned
with outlook

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

30.96

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

NA

Letter of Credit

NA

NA

NA

13.50

NA

CRISIL A3

NA

Term Loan

NA

NA

Mar-23

1.04

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

 

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2022 (History) 2021  2020  2019  Start of 2019
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 32.0 CRISIL BBB-/Stable   -- 23-08-21 CRISIL BBB-/Stable 24-02-20 CRISIL BBB-/Stable   -- CRISIL BBB-/Stable
      --   -- 31-05-21 CRISIL BB+ /Stable(Issuer Not Cooperating)*   --   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 13.5 CRISIL A3   -- 23-08-21 CRISIL A3 24-02-20 CRISIL A3   -- CRISIL A3
      --   -- 31-05-21 CRISIL A4+ (Issuer Not Cooperating)*   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
* - Issuer did not cooperate; based on best-available information
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 26.5 State Bank of India CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Cash Credit 4.46 YES Bank Limited CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Letter of Credit 13.5 Axis Bank Limited CRISIL A3
Term Loan 1.04 State Bank of India CRISIL BBB-/Stable

This Annexure has been updated on 05-Jul-22 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 31-Jul-21 received from the rated entity.

Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Criteria for rating trading companies

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