Cipla, a Rs. 9,800 crore plus Mumbai based fifth largest pharma company, has posted net profit growth of 15.5 per cent during the third quarter ended December 2014 to Rs. 328 crore as against Rs. 284 crore in the similar period of last year. Its net sales improved marginally by 2.2 per cent to Rs. 2,625 crore from Rs. 2,568 crore. EPS worked out to Rs. 4.08 as compared to Rs. 3.54 in the last period. Current year figures include the relevant results of its subsidiaries from the date they became subsidiary of the company and therefore the corresponding figures for the previous period are not strictly comparable.

Cipla scrip opened slightly lower at Rs. 661.80 today and moved up its intra-day highest level at Rs. 701.60 in the morning session. However, relatively poor performance put pressure on price movement and it declined to Rs. 660.30.  

The company's formulations exports declined by 6.2 per cent to Rs. 1,275 crore from Rs. 1,360 crore and that of APIs declined by 4.4 per cent to Rs. 151 crore from Rs. 158 crore. Its international sales worked out to 54 per cent of its total revenue. Formulations sales worked out to 94 per cent and APIs 6 per cent. Its domestic sales grew by 14.2 per cent to Rs. 1,199 crore from Rs. 1,050 crore mainly due to growth in respiratory, anti-infectives, cardiac and gastro intestinal therapies.

For the nine months period ended December 2914, Cipla's net sales improved by 7 per cent to Rs. 7,902 crore from Rs. 7,383 crore in the corresponding period of last year. However, its net profit declined by 18.4 per cent to Rs. 921 crore from Rs. 1,128 crore. With lower net profit, EPS declined to Rs. 11.47 from Rs. 14.05 in the last period. Its EBDITA also declined by 8.1 per cent to Rs. 1,758 crore from Rs. 1,912 crore.