Rating Rationale
April 02, 2020 | Mumbai
Action Financial Services India Limited
Rating placed on 'Watch Negative'  
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.10 Crore
Short Term Rating CRISIL A4+ (Placed on 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has placed its rating on the bank facilities of Action Financial Services India Limited (AFSL) on 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications'.
 
The rating action is primarily driven by the potential impact on operations due to Covid-19 pandemic, as announced by AFSL to the Stock Exchanges on March 24, 2020. Additionally, CRISIL has noted the late intimation by AFSL to the Stock Exchanges on March 27, 2020 about the resignation of two independent directors and company secretary & compliance officer about a month ago.
 
On March 24, 2020 AFSL announced that in the view of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the offices of the company will temporarily remain closed to ensure safety and health of all employees, stakeholders and to contain the spread of coronavirus adhering to the directives issued by the Central Government, State Government of Maharashtra and local administration in this respect. Company has facilitated employees to work from home in order to ensure continuity of business operations.
 
On March 27, 2020, AFSL further made an announcement on BSE, of resignation of two independent directors and company secretary & compliance officer. While this event had happened on last week of February 2020, the company delayed in announcing the same on stock exchanges due to unavoidable circumstances, as per the announcement.
 
In light of the above the developments and as informed by the management about the operational challenges that AFSL is facing in carrying out its business operations amidst this lockdown, the business may get affected during this period.
 
CRISIL will continue to monitor AFSL's performance and will resolve the rating watch once there is higher visibility on exact impact on the overall operations during and post lock down period.
 
The rating continues to reflect the extensive experience of the company's promoters in the equity broking business, and its adequate capital position to support scale of operations. These strengths are partially offset by modest market position, weak earnings, and exposure to risks inherent in the capital market-related business.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has considered the standalone the business and financial risk profiles of AFSL. Networth has been adjusted for exposure to proprietary trading activities.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Adequate capitalisation
Adjusted networth was Rs 17.1 crore while gearing was comfortable at 0.3 time as on September 30, 2020. Adjusted networth excludes funds apportioned for proprietary trading, which are estimated at 30% of networth. Promoters are in discussion with various investors to raise equity to increase business through its low brokerage business model.
 
* Extensive experience of promoters
AFSL's senior management team comprising Mr. Milan Parekh and Mr. Bakul Parekh have more than 3 decades of experience in capital market businesses. They are involved in the day-to-day operations of the company and most of the high-level decision making like risk management policy, proprietary trading activities, is managed by them. Based on their experienced in the market the promoters have develop low brokerage business model which they intends to aggressively market over the medium term.
 
Weakness   
* Modest Market Position
The company has a market share of 0.02% and 0.001% in the cash and futures & options segments, respectively based on turnover for fiscal 2019. It is predominantly a retail equity broker and has limited presence in the institutional segment. Furthermore, unlike competitors, AFSL does not provide margin funding facility or loans against shares to customers. Income from operations is primarily from capital market-related activities.
 
* Exposure to risk inherent in capital market -related business
AFSL's revenue is linked to the capital markets, which are inherently volatile, driven by economic and political factors as well as investor sentiment. CRISIL believes AFSL's businesses will continue to be driven by the state of the capital markets given the company's focus on its core business of equity broking.
Liquidity Stretched

AFSL has stretched liquidity marked by cash and cash equivalents of Rs 3.74 crore including Rs 3.5 crore parked in fixed deposit against bank guarantee facility as on September 30, 2019. The bank limit utilization was at 70-80% (of the sanction limit of Rs 7 crore) over period to March 31, 2020.

Rating Sensitivity Factor
Upward factors:
* Ability to get back the operations on track post the end of lockdown period
* Significant increase in market share in capital market related business along with diversity in revenue
* Significant improvement in earning profile with the company reporting of return on networth in the range of 10-12%
 
Downward factors
* Significant impact on business and consequent deterioration in earnings and capital position
* Increase in proprietary trading activities to above 50%

About the Company

Incorporated in 1992 and promoted by Mr Milan Parekh and Mr Bakul Parekh, AFSL is in the retail broking business and has membership of the National Stock Exchange, Bombay Stock Exchange, and National Securities Depository Ltd. It has a branch in Mumbai, and is actively engaged in proprietary trading. It is focusing on increasing its client base by offering low brokerage for trading.
 
AFSL has two subsidiaries, Action Securities Ltd and Action Commodities Ltd, which are yet to start full-fledged operations.

Key Financial Indicators
As On/For The Period Ended March 31 Unit Sep-19 2019 2018
Total assets Rs crore 35.5 37.1 39.4
Total income Rs crore 1.9 4.5 4.4
Profit after tax Rs crore -3.6 0.19 -0.7
Gross NPA % NA NA NA
Adjusted Gearing* Times 0.3 0.3 0.3
Return on assets % -9.9 1.1 -1.9
*Networth adjusted for Proprietary Trading

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL 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 Cr)
Rating Outstanding
with Outlook
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 7 CRISIL A4+/Watch Negative
NA Proposed Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 3 CRISIL A4+/Watch Negative
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2020 (History) 2019  2018  2017  Start of 2017
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  10.00  CRISIL A4+/(Watch) Negative      27-09-19  CRISIL A4+  29-06-18  CRISIL A4+  07-07-17  CRISIL A4+  -- 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Bank Guarantee 7 CRISIL A4+/Watch Negative Bank Guarantee 7 CRISIL A4+
Proposed Bank Guarantee 3 CRISIL A4+/Watch Negative Proposed Bank Guarantee 3 CRISIL A4+
Total 10 -- Total 10 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating Criteria for Finance Companies

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