Astral shares tumble 6% after Q1 net profit drops 33%; should you buy, sell or hold?

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Astral Shares Today: Shares of Astral Ltd came under pressure on Tuesday, August 12, after the company's June-quarter earnings fell short of expectations, prompting investor caution and a muted response from brokerages. The stock declined as much as 6 per cent to Rs 1,299 in early trade on the NSE.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, Astral reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 81 crore, a sharp 32.7 per cent decline from Rs 120 crore recorded in the same period a year earlier. Revenue slipped 1.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,361.2 crore, down from Rs 1,383.6 crore.

Average PVC prices dropped 14 per cent year-on-year and declined 4–5 per cent sequentially, eroding realisations. Segmental margins for plumbing contracted 345 basis points to 10.4 per cent, the weakest in over two years. Margins in adhesives and paints also softened by 220 basis points, settling at 4.8 per cent.

Mixed Brokerage Views on Astral

Morgan Stanley maintained its Equal Weight rating with a target price of Rs 1,489, noting a 10 per cent miss on revenue, driven primarily by weaker performance in the pipes segment. Volumes remained flat versus expectations of 7 per cent growth, while realisations dropped 7 per cent.

On a positive note, paints revenue grew 21 per cent, ahead of Morgan Stanley's 10 per cent estimate, while the adhesives and paints division held up relatively better.

CLSA also struck a cautious tone, retaining a Hold rating and setting a target of Rs 1,515. The brokerage highlighted that Astral's Q1 EBITDA at Rs 185 crore was down 14 per cent YoY, and nearly 20 per cent below estimates. Despite the miss, CLSA pointed to signs of stabilisation: the company has already seen a 30 per cent year-on-year uptick in piping volumes and adhesive sales in July, as polymer prices begin to settle.