Power sector's meteoric rise faces valuation concerns; HSBC Securities predicts post-summer adjustment

2 days ago 1

Power stocks person demonstrated singular show connected Dalal Street successful caller sessions, with galore achieving caller milestones and contributing to a important enlargement successful their marketplace capitalisations.

The BSE Power index, a cardinal indicator of powerfulness banal performance, has surged by 100% implicit the past year, with 10 retired of 13 constituents delivering multibagger returns.

The surge successful powerfulness stocks was chiefly driven by a powerfulness shortage exacerbated by a anemic monsoon, which heightened cultivation request and air-conditioning usage contempt insufficient hydroelectric support. This accrued request resulted successful higher powerfulness prices, triggered discussions connected expanding assemblage capacity, and bolstered banal valuations.

The one-way rally successful stocks began successful July 2023, triggered by a shortage of powerfulness from July to October 2023, attributed to the weakest monsoon successful 122 years.

In effect to escalating powerfulness consumption, the authorities has announced plans to adhd 80 GW of thermal capableness by 2032 and summation yearly renewable powerfulness auctions to implicit 50 GW, up from astir 18 GW seen successful FY24, which further supported the powerfulness stocks to commercialized astatine higher levels.

However, planetary brokerage steadfast HSBC Securities expects banal valuations to chill down aft the summertime owed to capableness additions, effectual management, La Nina, and the precocious basal effect.

The brokerage notes that energy request maturation successful FY22 and FY23 benefited from the little basal of COVID-19, portion FY24 request maturation was driven by an acute shortage of rainfall from July to September 2023.

If monsoons are mean arsenic forecast by the IMD and La Nina does prevail, HSBC anticipates overmuch little deficits and an optical diminution successful powerfulness request during July to October 2024.

Since September 2023, 4.1 GW of thermal capableness and 14.9 GW of renewable vigor (RE) capableness person been added to conscionable demand. HSBC believes FY25 volition spot different important capableness summation of astir 10 GW of thermal and 25 GW of RE. This volition apt chill the valuation premium attributed to capableness shortages, it said.

Further, contempt beardown request successful FY22-24, the 5- and 6-year CAGR energy request maturation has been 5.1% from FY19-24 and FY18-24, reflecting a overmuch little interaction of concern enactment connected powerfulness demand.

Positive but calibrated

While the brokerage remains affirmative connected the semipermanent imaginable of India’s powerfulness sector, it advises a much calibrated view. According to the brokerage, the powerfulness capableness successful India volition beryllium commissioned, but based connected the quality of authorities organisation companies (discoms) to pay. Increased electrification is expected to boost powerfulness demand, but the adoption of much businesslike powerfulness instrumentality volition assistance negociate this increase.

A greater absorption connected renewable vigor (RE) volition thrust an summation successful captive RE plants, reducing the request unit connected discoms but besides negatively impacting their finances. The brokerage notes that RE installations combined with batteries volition prime up the gait connected favourable economics, driven by little module and artillery prices.

Additionally, it notes that the expiry of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) waiver, the adoption of artillery storage, and the promotion of decentralisation schemes volition democratise transmission and trim the load connected ISTS.

Finally, the brokerage believes India volition proceed with energy reforms, but fixed the engagement of states and a little cardinal authorities majority, reforms volition beryllium lone gradual.

Cut ratings

The brokerage has downgraded the ratings connected aggregate stocks, citing that investors person overestimated the maturation trajectory of these companies.

The brokerage downgraded Powergrid Corporation's standing to 'Reduce' from 'Hold' and acceptable a people terms of 270, indicating an 18% downside from its existent levels. Similarly, it downgraded NTPC's standing to 'Hold' from 'Buy,' with a people terms of 355, signalling a 2.1% downside.

Additionally, the brokerage maintained its 'Reduce' standing connected Tata Power and BHEL, with people prices of 300 and 72, respectively. This suggests a 31.6% downside for Tata Power and a important 75.6% downside for BHEL.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations fixed successful this nonfiction are those of idiosyncratic analysts. These bash not correspond the views of Mint. We counsel investors to cheque with certified experts earlier making immoderate concern decisions.

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