Rating Rationale
June 29, 2024 | Mumbai
Apex Frozen Foods Limited
Rating reaffirmed at 'CRISIL A2+'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.209.73 Crore
Short Term RatingCRISIL A2+ (Reaffirmed)
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1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its CRISIL A2+rating on the short-term bank facilities of Apex Frozen Foods Ltd (AFFL).


The rating continues to reflect the established market position, strong financial risk profile and the extensive experience of its promoters. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to risks inherent in the aquaculture business and to fluctuations in foreign exchange (forex) rates.

Key rating drivers and detailed description

Strengths:

  • Established market position and extensive experience of promoters: The promoters’ experience of over three decades in the seafood business and healthy relationship with suppliers and customers should continue to support the business. Further, advantages from integrated operations - with own hatcheries and farming, processing unit, cold storage, and logistics - should continue to boost business growth. The operating margin has remained above average, compared to peers, supported by backward integration and ability to deliver value-added products.

 

  • Strong financial risk profile: Financial risk profile should remain supported by healthy accretion to reserve and the absence of any large, debt-funded capital expenditure (capex). Networth stood at Rs 497 crore and gearing at 0.21 time as on March 31, 2024. Debt protection metrics have been strong, with interest coverage ratio over 4 times and net cash accrual to total debt ratio of 0.2 time for fiscal 2024.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Moderation in business risk profile: Business performance has moderated in fiscal 2024, with revenue lowering to Rs 807 crore (from Rs 1,070 crore in fiscal 2023) and decline in margin to 5.5% (7.8%) owing to muted demand and lower realisations in the key market -- USA. Though demand scenario is expected to slightly recover, the ability to significantly improve the margin will remain monitorable over the medium term.

 

  • Susceptibility to risks inherent in the aquaculture business: The Indian seafood industry has been growing significantly in the past few years, led by increasing share of aquaculture. However, susceptibility to outbreak of diseases, adverse climatic conditions, natural calamities and regulatory changes, which may significantly impact the credit risk profile of players such as AFFL persists.

 

  • Vulnerability to fluctuations in forex rates: Revenue is entirely derived from exports, and since only a part of the forex exposure is hedged, any sharp fluctuation in forex rates may significantly impinge realisations and profitability.

Liquidity: Adequate

Liquidity should remain supported by the ample surplus available in cash accrual and bank lines. Bank limit utilisation was around 50% for the 12 months through May 2024. Cash accrual is expected at Rs 30-35 crore per annum, against minimal debt obligation over the medium term. Current ratio stood healthy at above 3 times on March 31, 2024. Low gearing and moderate networth also aid financial flexibility.

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Improvement in business risk profile, with revenue increasing above Rs 1,200 crore and operating margin at 8-9%
  • Sustenance of healthy financial risk profile

 
Downward factors:

  • Steep decline in revenue and profitability or a sizeable stretch in the working capital cycle
  • Large, debt-funded capex impacting the capital structure, with gearing increasing to over 0.8 time

About the company

AFFL, based in Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), was set up as a partnership firm in 1996, converted into a private-limited company in 2012 and reconstituted as a public-limited company in 2017. It processes and exports shrimps, mainly the vannamei variety. It was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India on September 04, 2017.

Key financials

As on/for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

804.10

1,070.30

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

14.59

35.87

PAT margin

%

1.82

3.35

Adjusted debt/adjusted networth

Times

0.21

0.18

Interest coverage

Times

4.42

5.64

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 and are included (where applicable) in the 'Annexure - Details of Instrument' in this Rating Rationale.

CRISIL Ratings will disclose complexity level for all securities - including those that are yet to be placed - based on available information. The complexity level for instruments may be updated, where required, in the rating rationale published subsequent to the issuance of the instrument when details on such features are available.

For more details on the CRISIL Ratings` complexity levels please visit www.crisilratings.com. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.


Annexure - Details of instrument(s)

ISIN Name of the
instrument
Date of
Allotment
Coupon
Rate (%)
Maturity
Date
Issue size
(Rs. Crore)
Complexity
Level
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Export funding NA NA NA 147.9 NA CRISIL A2+
NA Non-fund-based limit NA NA NA 14 NA CRISIL A2+
NA Proposed working capital facility NA NA NA 47.83 NA CRISIL A2+
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2024 (History) 2023  2022  2021  Start of 2021
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities ST 195.73 CRISIL A2+   -- 04-04-23 CRISIL A2+ 05-01-22 CRISIL A2+ / CRISIL A-/Stable   -- CRISIL A2+ / CRISIL A-/Stable
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 14.0 CRISIL A2+   -- 04-04-23 CRISIL A2+ 05-01-22 CRISIL A2+   -- CRISIL A2+
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Export Funding 147.9 Bank of India CRISIL A2+
Non-Fund Based Limit 14 Bank of India CRISIL A2+
Proposed Working Capital Facility 47.83 Not Applicable CRISIL A2+
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating Criteria for Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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