Hindalco vs Nalco: Aluminium is the second most used metal in the world. India is the 6th largest producer of aluminium in the world with a share of around 5.3% of the global aluminium output. This makes the aluminium industry hard to be ignored. Here we compare the top 2 aluminium companies i.e. Hindalco vs. Nalco. Let us find out which of these 2 heavyweights is worth investing in!

Industry Overview

Aluminium is a lightweight metal that is silver in appearance and makes up approximately 7% of the earth’s crust. However, India has a very important role to play as it is the 4th largest producer of aluminium. This means that the industry plays a very important role in the Indian economy. 

The aluminium industry in India is currently undergoing various changes. As investors, it is very important that we take note of these, particularly in this case!

The Mines Ministry in India has brought forward several changes which are expected to further increase the role played by the industry on a global stage. The industry group FICCI has recommended a hike in the customs duty for aluminium and aluminium products. In addition to this, they have also suggested an increase in import duty on downstream aluminium.

One may assume that this wouldn’t have much effect as India already produces enough aluminium for its needs. Investors must take note that despite this India imports 15-20% of the total supply of aluminium on average. These hikes in export duties are expected to further make locally produced aluminium more attractive. This has resulted in investors paying special attention to companies in this industry over the last few days.

However, this is not the only factor providing a boost to aluminium companies in India. China is the 2nd largest producer of aluminium. Over the last few months, the country’s aluminium production has decreased resulting in an increased import of aluminium into the country.

This decrease is due to new environmental norms put in place which have hampered the operating activities of smelters. Both these occurrences bring new opportunities to aluminium-producing companies in India.

Business Overview

Hindalco Industries

Hindalco Industries was founded in 1958 by the Aditya Birla Group in Uttar Pradesh. Today the company is headquartered in Mumbai and was renamed Hindalco in 1989. Being one of the oldest companies in the sector, it has also made its mark in the world. Hindalco is one of the world’s largest aluminium rolling companies and also one of the largest producers of aluminium in Asia.

Nalco Industries

Founded in 1981. NALCO stands for National Aluminium Company Limited and is a government company. Nalco has diversified operations when it comes to mining, metal and power. By global standards, the company is the lowest cost producer of metallurgical grade alumina and Bauxite in the World.

Hindalco vs Nalco: Financial Metrics

Revenue

In FY22, Hindalco earned a revenue of Rs 195,059 Cr whereas Nalco was able to earn Rs 14,181 Cr. However considering the huge difference in the sizes of the company, comparing their annual revenues would not offer a clear picture.

Here let us take a look at the potential offered by the two companies through their ability to increase revenues over the last few years. Here both the company’s revenues suffered in 2020 which is a trend noticeable in most of companies.

However, it is important to note that over the last five years, from 2018 to 2022, revenue for Hindalco has grown at a CAGR of 11.11%. Nalco hasn’t maintained a consistent rise in revenues.

Profits 

When it comes to profits both companies had declining profits till 2021. FY22 proved to be a boon year and their earnings increased by more than 125% year on year.

This gives Hindalco a 5-year positive CAGR of 17.20%. The company’s net profit margin stood at 7.04%, better than in previous years.

Nalco on the other hand has also seen a decrease in its profits. Its profits have decreased from Rs. 1732 cr in 2019 to Rs. 1299 in 2021. It also posted good figures with Rs. 2,951 crores net profit in FY22.

The company however has maintained its profitability margins over the years. As of 2022, the company had a net profit margin of 20.81%.

Returns to Shareholders

On a comparative basis, Nalco has provided better returns when it comes to dividends.

The company has a dividend yield of 8.46% whereas Hindalco on other hand has a dividend yield of only 0.89%. Nalco and Hindalco provided an ROE of 25.4% and 18.4% last year. 

Is NALCO good for long-term investment?

We compared Nalco and Hindalco above across multiple parameters and saw how Nalco has trailed behind Hindalco in performance. This is further warranted by the five-year return of Nalco which is only 5.51%. During the same period, Hindalco generated gains of 84% for its investors. Even with dividend yield, Nalco doesn’t look like an attractive proposition as compared to Hindalco.

In Closing 

In this article, we looked at the financials of Hindalco vs Nalco. Both companies are giving neck-to-neck competition with each other in terms of revenue, growth, and profitability.

The future leadership will be decided based on what strategies they choose to move forward. That’s all for this post. Happy investing! Which company would you invest in? Let us know in the comments below!

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Aron Almeida

Aron, Bachelors in Commerce from Mangalore University, entered the world of Equity research to explore his interests in financial markets. Outside of work, you can catch him binging on a show, supporting RCB, and dreaming of visiting Kasol soon. He also believes that eating kid’s ice-cream is the best way to teach them taxes.