Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Indian pharmaceutical companies started FY24 on a strong note. Due to better pricing environment, drug shortages, and new launches, sector heavyweights reported double-digit revenue growth from U.S. business.</li>
<li>Price erosion has come down to high single-digit from their peak of mid-teens. Despite the rise in number of ANDA approvals from the US FDA, Indian companies continued their dominance.</li>
<li>Indian pharmaceutical companies have accelerated the filing pace. With shorter timeline of approval, the companies are witnessing a spike in number of approvals. Regulatory risk remains the main downside risk.</li>
</ul>


Indian pharmaceutical companies started FY24 on a strong note. Due to better pricing environment, drug shortages, and new launches, sector heavyweights reported double-digit revenue growth from U.S. business.
Price erosion has come down to high single-digit from their peak of mid-teens. Despite the rise in number of ANDA approvals from the US FDA, Indian companies continued their dominance.
Indian pharmaceutical companies have accelerated the filing pace. With shorter timeline of approval, the companies are witnessing a spike in number of approvals. Regulatory risk remains the main downside risk.


Indian Generic Pharmaceutical Companies: US Momentum to Continue Amid Favorable Sector Tailwinds

Equity Bottom-Up

Alkem Laboratories Ltd / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alkem-laboratories-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26928:1" rel="noopener">Alkem Laboratories Ltd (ALKEM IN)</a> is flying high on strong Q2 numbers. The shares rallied 23% since the company announced Q2FY24 result in early November, widely outperforming Nifty Pharma index.</li>
<li>In Q2FY24, revenue grew 12% YoY, and gross margin expanded 380bps to 61.4% backed by lower raw material cost and lower intensity of price erosion in US market.</li>
<li>For the U.S. business, Alkem is looking at high-single-digit growth in dollar terms for FY24. The company has reiterated FY24 gross margin guidance at 59.0–59.5%.</li>
</ul>



Alkem Laboratories Ltd (ALKEM IN) is flying high on strong Q2 numbers. The shares rallied 23% since the company announced Q2FY24 result in early November, widely outperforming Nifty Pharma index.
In Q2FY24, revenue grew 12% YoY, and gross margin expanded 380bps to 61.4% backed by lower raw material cost and lower intensity of price erosion in US market.
For the U.S. business, Alkem is looking at high-single-digit growth in dollar terms for FY24. The company has reiterated FY24 gross margin guidance at 59.0–59.5%.


Alkem Laboratories Ltd (ALKEM IN): Further Upside on Card on US Business and Margin Improvement

<ul>
<li>In Q2FY24, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ipca-laboratories-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15774:1" rel="noopener">Ipca Laboratories (IPCA IN)</a> reported 10% growth in domestic formulation business, driven by 12% growth in pain management. In FY24, domestic formulation is expected to growth 12–14%.  </li>
<li>Ipca now holds 52.67% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unichem-laboratories-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8267:1" rel="noopener">Unichem Laboratories (UL IN)</a>. Ipca is confident to clock revenue of INR1.7–1.8B and EBITDA of INR300M from Unichem within two years of acquisition.</li>
<li>As facilities are back onstream, Ipca is augmenting the supply chain and revalidating of all the formulations and updating them. Shipment to the U.S. may begin in Q1FY25.</li>
</ul>


In Q2FY24, Ipca Laboratories (IPCA IN) reported 10% growth in domestic formulation business, driven by 12% growth in pain management. In FY24, domestic formulation is expected to growth 12–14%.  
Ipca now holds 52.67% stake in Unichem Laboratories (UL IN). Ipca is confident to clock revenue of INR1.7–1.8B and EBITDA of INR300M from Unichem within two years of acquisition.
As facilities are back onstream, Ipca is augmenting the supply chain and revalidating of all the formulations and updating them. Shipment to the U.S. may begin in Q1FY25.


Ipca Laboratories (IPCA IN): Stellar Domestic Performance; US Business Poised for Scaling Up

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>We see 8 stocks moving from MidCap to LargeCap, 8 stocks moving from LargeCap to MidCap, 13 stocks from SmallCap to MidCap, and 14 stocks from MidCap to SmallCap.</li>
<li>Some stocks are expected to be inclusions to global indices later this month while others are potential <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nifty-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23617:1" rel="noopener">NIFTY Index</a> and/or <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nse-nifty-next-50-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36053:1" rel="noopener">Nifty Next 50 Index</a> changes in March.</li>
<li>On average, the upward migrating stocks have outperformed the downward migrating stocks by close to 100% over the last 8 months. The passive flow can be used as an exit.</li>
</ul>


We see 8 stocks moving from MidCap to LargeCap, 8 stocks moving from LargeCap to MidCap, 13 stocks from SmallCap to MidCap, and 14 stocks from MidCap to SmallCap.
Some stocks are expected to be inclusions to global indices later this month while others are potential NIFTY Index and/or Nifty Next 50 Index changes in March.
On average, the upward migrating stocks have outperformed the downward migrating stocks by close to 100% over the last 8 months. The passive flow can be used as an exit.


AMFI Stock Reclassification Preview (Dec 2023): HUGE Outperformance as Active and Passive Meet

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ajanta-pharma-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10053:1" rel="noopener">Ajanta Pharma (AJP IN)</a> reported better-than-expected profitability in Q1FY24, due to softening of raw material prices and normalization of freight rates. EBITDA margin expanded 300bps YoY to 26%.</li>
<li>Revenue increased 7% YoY to INR10B, driven by superior execution in branded generics business and lesser price erosion in the U.S. 73% of the total sales came from branded generic.</li>
<li>Management maintained mid-teen revenue growth and EBITDA margin guidance of ~25% for FY24. Ajanta Pharma has a positive business outlook due to growing branded generic business and niche U.S. launches.</li>
</ul>



Ajanta Pharma (AJP IN) reported better-than-expected profitability in Q1FY24, due to softening of raw material prices and normalization of freight rates. EBITDA margin expanded 300bps YoY to 26%.
Revenue increased 7% YoY to INR10B, driven by superior execution in branded generics business and lesser price erosion in the U.S. 73% of the total sales came from branded generic.
Management maintained mid-teen revenue growth and EBITDA margin guidance of ~25% for FY24. Ajanta Pharma has a positive business outlook due to growing branded generic business and niche U.S. launches.


Ajanta Pharma (AJP IN): Starts FY24 With Healthy Branded Generics Growth and Improving Margins

India

Ajanta Pharma Limited is a pharmaceutical company involved in the areas of product research, manufacturing, and marketing. The Company's manufacturing capabilities include segments such as antiretrovirals, antimalarials, cardiovascular, dermatology, and ophthalmology. The Company also markets over the counter products that include some nature-based remedies.

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Ajanta Pharma (AJP IN)

Indian Generic Pharmaceutical Companies: US Momentum to Continue Amid Favorable Sector Tailwinds

Indian pharma companies saw strong U.S. revenue growth in H1FY24 due to better pricing, drug shortages, and new launches. With robust pipeline and...

Tina Banerjee

Alkem Laboratories Ltd (ALKEM IN): Further Upside on Card on US Business and Margin Improvement

Alkem is looking at high-single-digit growth in dollar terms from US business in FY24. FY24 gross margin guidance is 59.0–59.5%, backed by lower...

Tina Banerjee

Ipca Laboratories (IPCA IN): Stellar Domestic Performance; US Business Poised for Scaling Up

In Q2FY24, Ipca reports 10% growth in domestic formulation business and expects 12-14% growth in FY24, riding on the strength of pain management...

Tina Banerjee

AMFI Stock Reclassification Preview (Dec 2023): HUGE Outperformance as Active and Passive Meet

We see 43 stocks migrating between different market cap segments in Jan. A lot of stocks will have passive flows from NIFTY, NIFTYJR and global...

Brian Freitas