Petro Carbon and Chemicals first-half profit rises to Rs 48.26 crore

Petro Carbon and Chemicals Limited reported standalone first-half profit after tax of Rs 48.26 crore for the half year ended 30 September 2026, versus Rs 2.93 crore a year earlier, after revenue from operations rose to Rs 343.72 crore; the board approved the unaudited results on 5 November 2026.

How did Petro Carbon and Chemicals perform in the first half?

Petro Carbon and Chemicals recorded standalone profit before tax of Rs 64.60 crore in the half year ended 30 September 2026, compared with Rs 3.51 crore in the corresponding half year ended 30 September 2025. Profit after tax rose to Rs 48.26 crore from Rs 2.93 crore, while total income increased to Rs 345.47 crore from Rs 260.99 crore.

Revenue from operations reached Rs 343.72 crore in the reported half year, compared with Rs 316.25 crore in the half year ended 31 March 2026 and Rs 260.40 crore a year earlier. Other income was Rs 1.75 crore, compared with Rs 0.67 crore in the preceding half year and Rs 0.59 crore in the September 2025 half year.

What drove Petro Carbon and Chemicals' higher first-half profit?

Petro Carbon and Chemicals' total expenses were Rs 280.87 crore for the half year ended 30 September 2026, compared with Rs 257.49 crore a year earlier, while total income rose by Rs 84.48 crore over the same comparison. The larger gap between income and expenses resulted in profit before tax of Rs 64.60 crore, against Rs 3.51 crore in the September 2025 half year.

Cost of materials consumed increased to Rs 265.00 crore from Rs 230.67 crore in the prior-year half. The reported change in inventories of finished goods was negative Rs 21.27 crore, compared with negative Rs 12.78 crore a year earlier, while employee benefits expense increased to Rs 4.79 crore from Rs 3.42 crore and other expenses rose to Rs 23.71 crore from Rs 23.51 crore.

Finance costs fell to Rs 5.51 crore from Rs 9.68 crore in the half year ended 30 September 2025 and Rs 7.15 crore in the half year ended 31 March 2026. Depreciation rose to Rs 3.05 crore from Rs 2.89 crore a year earlier, while amortisation was unchanged at Rs 8.45 lakh in both half-year periods.

How did Petro Carbon and Chemicals' tax and per-share earnings change?

Petro Carbon and Chemicals recorded current income tax of Rs 15.35 crore and deferred tax of Rs 98.71 lakh in the half year ended 30 September 2026, taking the reported tax charge to Rs 16.34 crore. In the corresponding prior-year half, the statement reported deferred tax of Rs 58.03 lakh, alongside profit after tax of Rs 2.93 crore.

Basic and diluted earnings per equity share were Rs 19.54 for the September 2026 half year, compared with Rs 1.18 a year earlier and Rs 9.10 for the half year ended 31 March 2026. Petro Carbon and Chemicals said half-year earnings per share were not annualised, and its paid-up equity share capital remained Rs 24.70 crore across the presented periods, with a face value of Rs 10 per share.

D. K. Chhajer & Co. completed a limited review of the standalone unaudited results for the half year ended 30 September 2026. The statutory auditor said nothing had come to its attention indicating that the statement omitted required Regulation 33 disclosures or contained a material misstatement, while noting that a review is narrower in scope than an audit and does not provide an audit opinion.

What changed in Petro Carbon and Chemicals' cash flow and balance sheet?

Petro Carbon and Chemicals generated net cash from operating activities of Rs 39.04 crore in the half year ended 30 September 2026, compared with Rs 4.51 crore in the year ended 31 March 2026. Cash generated from operations before net income tax was Rs 43.45 crore, with a Rs 47.17 crore increase in inventories partly offset by a Rs 13.70 crore increase in trade payables.

Investing activities used Rs 27.53 crore in the first half, including Rs 27.74 crore invested in property, plant and equipment and capital work-in-progress. Financing activities used Rs 12.18 crore, reflecting repayment of Rs 20.11 crore of short-term borrowings and finance-cost payments of Rs 5.51 crore, partly offset by Rs 13.44 crore of term-loan proceeds.

Cash and cash equivalents were Rs 6.47 crore at 30 September 2026, down from Rs 7.54 crore at 31 March 2026. On the standalone balance sheet, inventories rose to Rs 153.41 crore from Rs 106.24 crore, while trade receivables declined to Rs 82.01 crore from Rs 84.02 crore over the same period.

What is Petro Carbon and Chemicals planning after the September half year?

Petro Carbon and Chemicals is setting up an Electrically Calcined Anthracite project at Haldia with capacity of 48,000 tonnes per annum, or TPA, and expects to commission it during the year. The filing does not state the project's cost, a specific commissioning date, its funding structure or expected revenue contribution.

Calcined petroleum coke manufacturing is Petro Carbon and Chemicals' only reportable segment under Accounting Standard 17, according to the filing. Capital work-in-progress increased to Rs 76.85 crore at 30 September 2026 from Rs 56.39 crore at 31 March 2026, while tangible property, plant and equipment rose to Rs 165.80 crore from Rs 162.10 crore.

Conclusion

Petro Carbon and Chemicals' first-half standalone result combined revenue of Rs 343.72 crore with lower finance costs of Rs 5.51 crore and profit after tax of Rs 48.26 crore, compared with Rs 260.40 crore of revenue, Rs 9.68 crore of finance costs and Rs 2.93 crore of profit a year earlier. Operating cash inflow was Rs 39.04 crore, although inventories increased by Rs 47.17 crore during the half year.

The next disclosed item to watch is commissioning of the 48,000 TPA Electrically Calcined Anthracite project at Haldia during the year. Petro Carbon and Chemicals had Rs 76.85 crore of capital work-in-progress at 30 September 2026, but has not disclosed the project's precise schedule, cost or expected financial contribution.