Maruti Q3 preview: Profit likely to fall for the second straight quarter

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is slated to unveil its third quarter (October-December period) results of FY19 on Friday. The company is expected to show a muted performance, primarily driven by decline in volumes, analysts say.

Update on demand scenario, channel inventory, discounting trends and new launches, along with demand trend in urban and rural areas are some of the pressing issues that will be keenly watched. 

Most auto companies faced multitude of challenges during the quarter under review such as rising raw material prices, increased cost of ownership, increase in insurance costs and low festive sales. The quarter gone by,