Voltas: Divisional blues
(Mar 8, 2004)
It has been a slow and steady turnaround for Voltas Limited, the diversified Tata Group company with presence in consumer durables and engineering sectors. We look at the first nine months performance of the company and the future growth prospects.

BPL: Trouble brewing
(Sep 2, 2002)
Ever since the entry of Korean consumer durable majors, the Indian counterparts have had a run for their money. BPL is one of them. After the Cricket World Cup in 1999 when it posted record numbers, net profits have fallen at a CAGR of 28% in the last three years.

BPL: Survival game
(Jul 3, 2002)
BPL Limited, the diversified consumer durable major, is in serious trouble. The market leader in the Indian CTV segment has posted a 53% drop in net profits for the full year ended March 2002. The fall in both revenues and profitability has surpassed our estimates. Continuous diversification from its core business of manufacturing CTVs is one of the key cause of concern.

Consumer durables: Grim outlook
(Mar 19, 2002)
Over the last few days, consumer durable majors like BPL and Videocon have been gaining ground. After two years of lacklustre demand scenario, the current year was expected to benefit durable majors, more notably in the second half of the current fiscal in light of higher agricultural output. However, if one were to compare YoY, things are not that heartening.

Philips: Margins on the move
(Feb 13, 2002)
Philips India has reported a 2% rise in sales and a sharp rise in operating margins for the full year ended December 31, 2001. Net loss has also come down notably in the same period despite higher provisioning towards employee separation costs.

BPL: Threats unlimited
(Feb 11, 2002)
The consumer durable sector continues to reel under pressure on account of slowdown in the economy. While select companies like BPL have managed to gain market share in the colour television segment (CTV), price realisations has been on the decline. We take a look at the third quarter performance of BPL and its future prospects.

Philips: Challenges galore
(Dec 20, 2001)
The consumer durable companies, after a disappointing FY01 and 1HFY02, were betting on the festive season for a higher offtake in the second half of the current fiscal. They were also pinning their hope on higher rural demand in light of higher agricultural output. But durable demand has remained subdued. We take a look at the performance of Philips India, one of the market leaders in the colour television segment (CTVs), in 1HFY02 and its future growth prospects.

BPL: Hampered by the slowdown
(Nov 29, 2001)
BPL Limited, the market leader in the CTV segment, continues to feel the heat due to stiff competition and a slowdown in the economy. Net profit for the first half of the current year has nosedived by 50% YoY to Rs 206 m.

MIRC: Feeling the heat
(Nov 28, 2001)
MIRC Electronics, the manufacturers of the Onida brand of colour televisions (CTVs), has reported a 7% fall in sales for the second quarter ended September 30, 2001. Thought net profit for 2QFY02 seems to have fallen by 17.3%, if one were to adjust for the other income component, profits have actually risen in the second quarter.

Consumerism in full swing…
(Nov 17, 2001)
The bet is on. With the festive season in full swing, consumer electronics majors have introduced a range of exchange and finance schemes in an effort push volume growth, which has been languishing over the last two years. Will this festive season be any different for these companies, which are hoping for an upturn in consumer demand?
(Sector Focus)