Financials
DB Corp y-o-y PAT up 53 per cent; radio business revenue up 25 per cent
BENGALURU: DB Corp Limited (DBCL), home to flagship newspapers Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Dainik Divya Marathi and Saurashtra Samachar reported good standalone results for Q3-2014 (Quarter ended December 31, 2013). Its overall PAT for Q3-2014 at Rs 94.83 crore grew by a healthy 30.7 per cent from the Rs 72.55 crore for the corresponding quarter of last year and grew by 52.7 per cent as compared to the Rs 62.12 crore during the immediate trailing quarter.
Consolidated PAT for Q3-2014 grew by about 34 per cent y-o-y at Rs 94.5 crore (PAT margin 18 per cent) against Rs 70.6 crore (PAT margin 15.9 per cent) in Q3 of last year. This increase in PAT factors onetime pre-operative expense of Rs 4.47 crore for Patna-Bihar new launches as well as forex gain of Rs 1.302 crore.
DBCL radio business revenue for Q3-2014 at Rs 23.82 crore was 24.85 per cent higher than the Rs 19.08 crore for Q3-2013 and was 38.8 per cent more than the Rs 17.09 crore for Q2-2014. The segment showed almost double (1.84 times) the positive result at Rs 8.51 crore for Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 4.62 crore for Q3-3014 and more than triple (3.34 times) the Rs 2.54 crore for Q2-2014.
DBCL’s radio business advertising revenues have expanded by about 25 per cent y-o-y to Rs 23.9 crore in Q3-2014, against Rs 19.2 crore in Q3 of 2013.
The company has shown reduced Capital Employed (Segment assets – Segment liabilities) for its radio business during Q3-2014 at Rs 48.14 crore which was 20.3 per cent lower than the Rs 57.92 crore in Q3-2013 and almost flat as compared to the Rs 47.83 crore for Q2-2014.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by DBCL for Q3-2014
The main major contributor to revenue in the case of DB Corp is Printing and Publishing of Newspaper and Periodicals. This segment showed revenue of Rs 488.63 crore for Q3-2014, up 17.2 per cent as compared to the Rs 416.83 crore y-o-y and up 17.4 per cent q-o-q as compared the Rs 416.16 crore for Q2-2014. This segment showed improved positive results for Q3-2014 at Rs 135.7 crore for Q3-2014, 25 per cent more than the Rs 108.2 crore for Q3-2014 and a whopping 42 per cent more than the Rs 95.6 crore for Q2-2014.
Capital Employed (Segment assets – Segment liabilities) by the Printing and Publishing of Newspaper and Periodicals segment at Rs 1394.62 crore during Q3-2014 was 18 per cent higher than the Rs 1181.51 crore for Q3-2013 and 4.3 per cent more than the Rs 1294.46 crore for the immediate trailing quarter.
The other revenue segments in the case of DBCL are events, internet and power, with all the three showing a combined revenue of about Rs 6.47 crore and combined negative segment result of Rs 2.53 crore.
Total standalone expense for Q3-2014 at Rs 373.04 crore was 13.7 per cent more than the Rs 328.41 crore for Q3-2013 and 9.8 per cent more than the Rs 340.3 crore for the immediate previous quarter with two expense heads showed a major increase as compared to the other expense heads.
The company saw a 19.6 per cent rise in raw material consumption to Rs 172.41 crore in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 144.13 crore y-o-y and 14.7 per cent more than the Rs 150.34 crore q-o-q.
Other expense for Q3-2014 at Rs 1,126.4 crore was 12.8 per cent more than the Rs 99.81 crore for Q3-2013 and 9.9 per cent more than the Rs 102.49 crore for Q2-2014.
The company’s total consolidated revenue has shown a growth of about 19 per cent y-o-y to Rs 525.4 crore in Q3-2014 against Rs 442.9 crore of Q3 of last fiscal.
The company reported a growth in revenue from advertising by 18.2 per cent y-o-y Rs 403.5 crore in Q3-2013 from Rs 341.2 crore in Q3 last fiscal. DBCL says that excluding barter and private treaty, its billing in Q3-2014 of both years, ad growth is 20.5 per cent.
DB Corp managing director Sudhir Agarwal said, “We are pleased with the good start to this year as we report a healthy performance in the third quarter. As we continue to maintain a pragmatic approach towards operational controls and higher efficiency, we have also been closely focusing on studying the marketing strategies of niche brands in Tier 2 and 3 cities that have echoed our confidence in the potential of these regions. This quarter we have seen strong focus from brands of FMCG, apparels, real estate, automobiles & government that have ramped up their respective marketing thrusts in these regions.
While, we have achieved commendable growth in legacy markets, due to our relentless focus and ability to provide a differentiated product, we are excited with our progress in newer regions of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and now Bihar. We are set to launch in Patna- State of Bihar on 18th January ‘2014 which is of strategic importance for DBCL – the region being one of India’s most dynamic and developing states.
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MUMBAI: It’s time to brief the markets: Page Industries is showing that even when regulations tighten, it can still keep its footing in the innerwear business. The Bengaluru-based apparel major has reported its financials for the quarter ended 31 December 2025, delivering a performance that remains steady and well put together.
The company’s top line showed plenty of elasticity this quarter. Revenue from operations stretched to Rs 1,38,675.71 lakhs, a healthy jump from the Rs 1,29,085.82 lakhs reported in the preceding quarter. Compared to the same period last year, which stood at Rs 1,31,305.10 lakhs, it’s clear the brand’s grip on the market isn’t loosening. Total income for the quarter, including other finance gains, reached a comfortable Rs 1,39,919.03 lakhs.
However, it wasn’t all smooth silk. The Government of India’s new unified Labour Codes, covering everything from wages to social security, officially kicked in on 21 November 2025. This regulatory shift forced Page Industries to account for a one-time “exceptional item” cost of Rs 3,500.42 lakhs to cover incremental employee benefits and related obligations. Despite this Rs 35-crore legislative snag, the underlying business remained robust. Profit before tax stood at Rs 25,625.35 lakhs after the exceptional hit, and without that one-off cost, the figure would have been a more muscular Rs 29,125.77 lakhs. Net profit for the quarter came in at Rs 18,953.64 lakhs.
Total expenses rose to Rs 1,10,793.26 lakhs, driven largely by raw material consumption of Rs 30,162.65 lakhs and employee benefits of Rs 23,310.66 lakhs. Even so, the company’s operational strength ensured the bottom line remained firmly stitched together.
For shareholders, the news is particularly “fitting.” The Board has declared a third interim dividend for 2025-26 of Rs 125 per equity share. The record date has been set for 11 February 2026, with the payment scheduled on or before 6 March 2026. This follows two previous interim dividends of Rs 150 and Rs 125 declared earlier in the financial year, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sharing the spoils of its success.
Looking at the nine-month stretch ending December 2025, Page Industries has amassed total income of Rs 4,04,090.59 lakhs, with total comprehensive income of Rs 58,231.49 lakhs. While the basic earnings per share for the quarter dipped slightly to Rs 169.93, compared to Rs 183.48 in the same quarter last year, the year-to-date EPS remains a solid Rs 524.57.
Auditors at S.R. Batliboi & Associates LLP have given the results a “limited review” thumbs up, reporting no material misstatements. It seems that, as far as Page Industries is concerned, the business remains as well-constructed as its famous Jockey briefs.
