Maruti Suzuki: Buy

The stock of Maruti Suzuki is one of the outperformers in the BSE Sensex basket over the past year. But the stock remains a preferred exposure to capitalise on the recovery in automobile sales. Though concerns about a deficient monsoon and a slowdown in exports next year have tended to impact the stock’s performance in recent weeks, the company appears well placed to weather both risks and still deliver strong growth.

Investors with a moderate return target (10-15 per cent) can consider buying the stock currently at Rs 1467. This translates into a PE multiple of 32 times trailing 12-month earnings, but one should keep in mind that earnings for the company remained depressed for most part of last year.

The company’s formidable array of products not only shielded it from the slowdown in demand last year but also helped expand its market leadership in the A2 and A3 car segments. The strong financial performance despite the input cost continuing to remain stiff is yet another comforting factor for investors. However, given the way the stock price has shot up in recent times, it may be ambitious to expect big returns in the near future.

Source: thehindubusinessline