Despite the company's strong presence in the renewable energy space, the company's GMP (grey market premium) remains muted, almost negligible, trading at Rs 0 today. ACME's GMP has been dipping ever since November 30, 2024, when it stood at Rs 30. The allotment of shares is scheduled for November 11, 2024, with a tentative listing date on the BSE and NSE set for November 13, 2024.
The company amassed Rs 1,300.5 crore via the issue of 4.5 crore equity shares from anchor investors ahead of its IPO. Around 1.5 crore equity shares, or about 33.4% of the total anchor book, were lapped up by 8 domestic mutual fund houses through a total of 17 schemes.
About the company
ACME Solar is one of India's top 10 renewable energy-independent power producers. To date, the company has developed a total of 2,719 MW of solar power projects. In terms of financial performance, over the last three fiscal years, the company has reported (on a consolidated basis) a total income of Rs 1,562.73 crore in FY22, Rs 1,361.67 crore in FY23, and Rs 1,466.27 crore in FY24. In terms of net profit/loss, ACME Solar incurred a net profit of Rs 62.01 crore in FY22, a loss of Rs 3.15 crore in FY23, and Rs 697.78 crore in FY24. For the first quarter of FY25, the company's revenue from operations stood at Rs 340.01 crore, while earning a net profit of Rs 1.39 crore.
The company intends to utilize the IPO proceeds to repay and prepay part of its outstanding borrowings, and also for general corporate purposes. However, the company is not without its fair share of risks. Around 63.22% of its FY24 revenue is concentrated in just three Indian states—Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
Also, the company's business is highly dependent on its top 10 off-takers, which contributed 95.42% to its revenue as of the quarter ended June 30, 2024, 87.48% to its revenue in FY23, and 81.11% to the company's income in FY22. The loss of any of these off-takers can have adverse effects on their business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Moreover, not only does its growth depend on winning highly competitive project bids, but it is also highly reliant on government-owned transmission grids and infrastructure.
Should you subscribe?
Per Bajaj Broking, the issue appears to be aggressively priced, yet they would recommend subscribing to the IPO for the long term. "Over the past three fiscal years, the company has achieved an average EPS of Rs. 6.44 and an average RoNW of 13.95%. The issue is priced at a P/BV of 7.77 based on its NAV of Rs 37.19 as of June 30, 2024. When annualizing FY25 earnings to the post-IPO fully diluted equity base, the asking price results in a P/E of 3211.11, while based on FY24 earnings, the P/E stands at 25.06". However, there are financial concerns that cannot be ignored. "FY24 appears to be an exceptional year with significantly boosted profits, but otherwise, the company has shown inconsistent top and bottom lines over the reported periods. Its debt-equity ratio of 3.89 as of June 30, 2024, is notably high and raises concerns," it adds.
According to Anand Rathi Research, the IPO can be subscribed to in the long run. "At the upper price band, the company is valued at a P/E of 30.17x, with an EV/EBITDA of 22.4x and a market cap of Rs 1,74,868 million post-issue of equity shares and a return on net worth of 26.93%. We believe that the IPO is richly priced," adds the note.