Investments In Peptide Synthesis And Continuous Flow Chemistry Will Boost Capacity And Efficiency

Key Takeaways

• Strategic investments in peptide synthesis and greenfield expansion enhance future revenue potential through capacity and product line growth.
  
• Backward integration and continuous flow chemistry aim to improve margins, boosting supply chain resilience and operational efficiency.
  
• Expansion into new markets, product diversification, investments in advanced technology, and strong custom partnerships underpin Divi's Laboratories' potential for sustained growth and improved earnings.

Catalysts

Engages in the manufacture and sale of generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), intermediates, and nutraceuticals in India, North America, Asia, Europe, and internationally.

• Divi's Laboratories is investing in new capabilities to produce solid-phase peptide synthesis, which suggests a strategic expansion into complex APIs. This enhances future revenue potential as demand for peptide-based drugs continues to rise.
  
• The company is focusing on backward integration and supply chain resilience through its custom synthesis division, aiming for long-term partnerships that could improve net margins by reducing dependency on fluctuating raw material prices.
  
• The greenfield expansion project at Unit 3 is on track to begin phased production in December 2024, providing additional capacity that could significantly boost future earnings through new product lines and increased production volume.
  
• Although facing pricing pressure in the generic market, Divi's remains optimistic about the stabilization of prices and anticipates a robust pipeline of generic products to contribute to revenue from 2026, potentially enhancing profit margins.
  
• Implementation of continuous flow chemistry for commercial-scale production within the next 1-2 years signals increased operational efficiency, likely improving net margins by reducing waste and optimizing manufacturing processes.

Divi's Laboratories Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Divi's Laboratories's revenue will grow by 16.9% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 21.3% today to 26.6% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach ₹36.6 billion (and earnings per share of ₹123.28) by about December 2027, up from ₹18.4 billion today. However, there is some disagreement amongst the analysts with the more bearish ones expecting earnings as low as ₹28.3 billion.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 64.1x on those 2027 earnings, down from 85.7x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the IN Life Sciences industry at 44.7x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 3.78% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 12.83%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Divi's Laboratories Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Divi's Laboratories reported significant revenue growth in the second quarter, attributed to their successful expansion into new market opportunities and increased demand from customers. This could indicate future revenue stability and growth.
  
• The company is diversifying its product portfolio and has a strong pipeline of generic products, which are expected to contribute to their revenues from 2026 onwards. This diversification could sustain revenue growth and improve earnings in the long term.
  
• Divi's Laboratories is making substantial investments in advanced technology and infrastructure, such as expanding solid-phase peptide synthesis capabilities and utilizing continuous flow chemistry, which may enhance efficiency and support net margins.
  
• The expansion of their custom synthesis division, with a growing number of long-term partnerships focused on supply chain resilience, indicates potential for sustained revenue and profit margins through custom solutions to evolving market needs.
  
• Ongoing greenfield expansion projects, like Unit 3, which are progressing well and expected to start production soon, could increase production capacities and potentially lead to higher future earnings.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of ₹5512.44 for Divi's Laboratories based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of ₹6983.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just ₹3590.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2027, revenues will be ₹137.6 billion, earnings will come to ₹36.6 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 64.1x, assuming you use a discount rate of 12.8%.
• Given the current share price of ₹5927.95, the analyst's price target of ₹5512.44 is 7.5% lower. The relatively low difference between the current share price and the analyst consensus price target indicates that they believe on average, the company is fairly priced.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.