Ind-Ra: Aurobindo Pharma's Acquisition of Portugal-Based Firms Unlikely to Impact Ratings

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) does not expect Aurobindo Pharma's (APL; 'IND AA+'/Stable) INR9.7 billion acquisition of Generis Farmaceutica S.A. (Generis) and its subsidiaries in Portugal to impact its ratings.

The acquisition is likely to be funded largely through long-term debt and cash. Ind-Ra expects APL's net adjusted debt to increase to the extent of the cost of acquisition. However, the agency expects the company's net adjusted leverage to remain below the negative guideline level of 1.5x after the completion of the acquisition. APL registered strong operating cash flow at INR16.6 billion for FY16 and had INR7.03 billion in free cash at end-September 2016. Moreover, the EBITDA-accretive nature of the transaction will support net leverage. APL's net adjusted leverage stood at about 0.9x at end-September 2016 (FY16: 1.3x; FY15: 1.6x).

The acquisition provides APL an additional platform to sell its generic products in Portugal. As a part of the acquisition, APL will gain Generis's Europe-based large oral solid manufacturing facility. This would allow for the local manufacture of its wide product portfolio, especially to service orders when volumes are low or lead time is short, for sale in Portugal and other European countries. Such synergies are likely to yield additional profits from FY18. Generis registered an EBITDA margin of about 20% for 2015. The benefits of the acquisition are likely to accrue to the company gradually over the next three years.

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