Sector Alpha Week of 2026-07-24
Sector Alpha — machine-written from the numbers · Data as of 2026-07-24

Natco Pharma Ltd

NATCOPHARM
Pharma - Formulators

Natco Pharma Ltd is cheap for a reason. The P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own range, and the quarters are still getting worse.

The sharpest disagreement: the P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own range, but the engine is deteriorating — cheap for a reason until the quarters turn.

The price is in a confirmed uptrend (16 weeks in) while the P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own 10-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read deteriorating — profit −33.7% year on year, and 100% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether the quarters turn before the discount closes.

Stage
Deteriorating
fundamental trajectory, 12 quarters
Price
₹945
−8.7% 1Y
P/E
11.6×
13th pctile
of its own 10-year range
Revenue (Mar 26)
₹739 Cr
−39.5% YoY
Profit (Mar 26)
₹269 Cr
−33.7% YoY
Operating margin
17.0%
−28.0 pp YoY
ROCE
17%
FY26
ROIC
16.8%
vs WACC 12.0% → +4.8 pp
Cash conversion
100%
of profit, last 3 FY
01 · Price story

Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.

Natco Pharma Ltd trades at ₹945, in a confirmed uptrend and 16 weeks into that stage. That is −2.0% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 36% of a 52-week range of ₹803 to ₹1,199. On relative strength it is currently behind the NIFTY 500 on a trailing-13-week view (12 weeks and counting).

Today the stock is in a confirmed uptrend — week 16 of stage 2. At ₹945 it trades −2.0% versus its 200-day average and sits at 36% of its 52-week range (₹803–₹1,199).

Jul 26: ₹945 Weekly closing price (₹) with 50- and 200-day averages; shaded bands mark the price stage (grey base, green advance, amber top, red decline). 3-year window.
−2.0% versus the 200-day line, week 16 of stage 2
Price50-day avg200-day avg
S2S4S2₹1,660₹1,380₹1,101₹821₹542₹945₹964Jul 23Apr 24Feb 25Nov 25Jul 26
S2S4S2₹1,660₹1,380₹1,101₹821₹542₹945₹964Jul 23Feb 25Jul 26
Beating or trailing, week by week since 2016 Each cell is one week from 2016 to now (548 weeks): the stock's trailing 13-week return minus the NIFTY 500's, green ahead / red behind (±25% ramp). Grey cells are the 13-week warm-up or weeks where the NIFTY 500 reading is not held.
trailing 13-week return vs the NIFTY 500
Feb 16Jul 26

Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 10.4 years the stock moved +124% while the NIFTY 500 moved +280% — behind the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock is currently behind (12 weeks and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-05-29) — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.

What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.

→ The trend is one thing; the bill is another. Are you paying up for it? Next: the P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own range.

02 · Valuation

Valuation P/E is the price of ₹1 of annual profit: how many rupees the market pays for each rupee the company earns in a year.

Natco Pharma Ltd trades at 11.6× P/E, near the bottom of its own range — cheaper only 13% of the time. Its long-run median P/E is 22.9×, measured across 10.4 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.

Today's P/E of 11.6× is near the bottom of its own range — cheaper only 13% of the time, against a long-run median of 22.9× measured over 10.4 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.

P/E 11.6× vs a 22.9× long-run median P/E, weekly (left axis); earnings per share, trailing twelve months, weekly (right axis). 10.4-year window; loss-period spikes above 67× shown pinned at the top. The eps (ttm) bars are red where the reading is lower than the quarter before.
near the bottom of its own range — cheaper only 13% of the time
P/EMedianEPS (TTM) (quarterly)
72.0×₹11754.7×₹88.137.5×₹58.720.2×₹29.42.9×₹0.0×11.60×₹79Feb 16Sep 18May 21Jan 24Jul 26
72.0×₹11754.7×₹88.137.5×₹58.720.2×₹29.42.9×₹0.0×11.60×₹79Feb 16May 21Jul 26
PEG 0.27 PEG ratio per quarter — the P/E divided by the earnings-growth rate. The dashed line marks 1.0: below it the growth is cheap against the multiple, above it the price already prices the growth in. Last 20 quarters.
below 1.0, the growth looks cheap against the multiple
PEGPEG = 1.0
1.1×0.8×0.6×0.3×0.1××0.27×Q1 FY22Q1 FY23Q2 FY24Q3 FY25Q4 FY26
1.1×0.8×0.6×0.3×0.1××0.27×Q1 FY22Q2 FY24Q4 FY26
P/E
11.6×
13th percentile of 10y
PEG
n/m
3-year earnings growth is negative

Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved −24.8% against a −8.7% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.

The price move, decomposed: over 5y, of the −3.1%/yr price move, ~+26.4%/yr came from earnings growth and ~−29.5 pp from the multiple (compressing); over 10y, of the +5.0%/yr price move, ~+22.8%/yr came from earnings growth and ~−17.8 pp from the multiple (compressing). The split is the honest approximate (price return minus earnings growth); it makes the rally itself visible instead of hiding it behind the percentile.

Put together: the multiple is low against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.

→ Cheap or dear rides on the earnings. Are they actually growing? Next: the fundamental stage — where the business sits in its arc, and how growth has compounded.

03 · Stage: Deteriorating

Stage: Deteriorating Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).

Natco Pharma Ltd reads as deteriorating on its fundamental arc. Deteriorating — revenue, profit and EPS growth are shrinking (revenue growth −7.9% latest against +59.0% at its 12-quarter best), ROCE slipping at 17.9%. The read is built from 12 quarters across 4 curves, on full evidence.

Three growth curves, twelve quarters Year-on-year growth of trailing-twelve-month revenue (left axis), profit and EPS (right axis — they swing far wider), % at each quarter-end. A missing point means that reading is not held for the quarter.
the trajectory the stage is read from
RevenueProfitEPS
64%254%45%179%26%104%6.1%29%−13%−45%%%−7.9%−24.7%−24.8%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
64%254%45%179%26%104%6.1%29%−13%−45%%%−7.9%−24.7%−24.8%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
ROCE Trailing-twelve-month operating profit (before interest and tax) as a share of average capital employed — total assets minus current liabilities, the standard textbook basis, %.
the return curve, computed quarterly
ROCE
39%34%28%22%16%%17.9%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
39%34%28%22%16%%17.9%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
Revenue growth
Falling
latest −7.9% · span −7.9% to +59.0%
Profit growth
Falling
latest −24.7% · span −24.7% to +228.5%
EPS growth
Falling
latest −24.8% · span −24.8% to +233.6%
ROCE
Rolling over
latest 17.9% · span 17.9%–37.7%

🚨 Why it matters: falling curves mean every cheap-looking ratio below needs a discount for direction.

Growth, year by year: revenue −7.9% in FY26, profit −24.7% Year-over-year growth per fiscal year, %: revenue (left axis); net profit and EPS (right axis — profit growth swings far wider). Zero line drawn. Turnaround-year spikes shown pinned (▲).
Revenue YoYProfit YoYEPS YoY
102%329%72%224%43%119%13%14%−17%−90%%%−7.9%−24.7%FY16FY21FY26
102%329%72%224%43%119%13%14%−17%−90%%%−7.9%−24.7%FY16FY21FY26
TTM growth by quarter Trailing-twelve-month growth versus the year-ago TTM, per quarter, %: revenue (left axis); profit and EPS (right axis). The acceleration read compares the last 4 quarters (−7.9%) with the last 8 annualized (+1.0%).
revenue rolling over, profit rolling over
Revenue TTM YoYProfit TTM YoYEPS TTM YoY
64%254%45%179%26%104%6.1%29%−13%−45%%%−7.9%−24.7%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
64%254%45%179%26%104%6.1%29%−13%−45%%%−7.9%−24.7%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
Compound annual growth rate (%) Compound annual growth rate over each window, %. Revenue, profit and EPS from fiscal-year figures; share price is the price CAGR over the same spans. A dash = that window is not held, or the base was a loss.
1yr3yr5yr10yr
Revenue−7.9%+14.6%+14.7%+14.6%
Profit−24.7%+25.6%+26.3%+24.7%
EPS−24.8%+26.4%+26.8%+24.3%
Share price−8.7%+9.8%−3.1%+5.0%
Revenue YoY (Mar 26)
−39.5%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Profit YoY (Mar 26)
−33.7%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Revenue 10y
14.6%
long-run compound pace

→ The stage names the trajectory. Next: the revenue line that produces it, quarter by quarter.

04 · 4-Factor Sector Score

4-Factor Sector Score

42.0/100 — rank 30 of 43 in Pharma - Formulators · 96% evidence confidence

Natco Pharma Ltd scores 42.0 out of 100 against the 43 companies it is compared with in Pharma - Formulators, ranking 30. Cheap but unconfirmed: require improving earnings before treating the valuation as an opportunity.

The four contributions add to the total exactly: 5.3 + 13.9 + 19.1 + 3.7 = 42. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.

What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.

05 · Revenue

Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.

Natco Pharma Ltd reported ₹739 Cr of revenue in the Mar 26 quarter, −39.5% year on year. Over 10 years it has compounded at 14.6% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at ₹4,078 Cr. The last four reported quarters add to ₹4,078 Cr.

Natco Pharma Ltd reported ₹739 Cr of revenue in the Mar 26 quarter, −39.5% year on year. Over 10 years it has compounded at 14.6% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at ₹4,078 Cr. The last four reported quarters add to ₹4,078 Cr.

FY26 revenue came in at ₹4,078 Cr (−7.9% on the year), capping 10 years at 14.6% compound. The latest quarter (Mar 26) printed ₹739 Cr, −39.5% year on year.

FY26 revenue ₹4,078 Cr (−7.9% YoY) Revenue bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 11-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
14.6% a year over 10 years
RevenueYoY growth
4.8k102%3.6k72%2.4k43%1.2k13%0−17%₹ Cr%₹4,078−7.9%FY16FY21FY26
4.8k102%3.6k72%2.4k43%1.2k13%0−17%₹ Cr%₹4,078−7.9%FY16FY21FY26
Mar 26: ₹739 Cr (−39.5% YoY) Quarterly revenue bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Revenue (quarterly)YoY growth
1.5k153%1.1k101%74050%370−2.1%0−54%₹ Cr%₹739−39.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
1.5k153%1.1k101%74050%370−2.1%0−54%₹ Cr%₹739−39.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

Pace check: the last four quarters averaged −1.6% growth against the decade's 14.6% — the current year is running slower than its own long-run rate.

Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew −7.9% over the last 4 quarters against +1.0%/yr over the last 8 — rolling over; TTM profit −24.7% vs +1.1%/yr — rolling over.

→ Revenue slipped — did margins hold as it scaled? Next: 17.0% this quarter (−28.0 pp YoY).

06 · Operating margin

Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every ₹100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.

Natco Pharma Ltd's operating margin is 17.0% in the Mar 26 quarter, −28.0 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 14.0% to 50.0%. The current quarter sits inside that band.

Natco Pharma Ltd's operating margin is 17.0% in the Mar 26 quarter, −28.0 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 14.0% to 50.0%. The current quarter sits inside that band.

The latest quarter's operating margin is 17.0%, −28.0 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 14.0%–50.0%.

🚨 Why the margin moved: operating margin went −27.6 pp year on year while gross margin went −0.5 pp — the loss came mostly below the gross line: operating leverage, with costs spread over a bigger revenue base.

FY26: 35.0% Operating margin by fiscal year, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). 13-year window.
within a 14.0–50.0% band over 13 years
operating marginYoY change (pp)
53%24%42%13%32%2.5%22%−8.2%11%−19%%%35%−15%FY14FY20FY26
53%24%42%13%32%2.5%22%−8.2%11%−19%%%35%−15%FY14FY20FY26
Mar 26: 17.0% operating margin (−28.0 pp YoY) Quarterly operating margin, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). Last 12 quarters. Operating profit as a share of revenue, per quarter.
Operating marginYoY change (pp)
63%21%48%7.6%34%−5.5%19%−19%3.9%−32%%%17%−28%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
63%21%48%7.6%34%−5.5%19%−19%3.9%−32%%%17%−28%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

→ Margins slipped — did that reach the bottom line? Next: profit −33.7% in the latest quarter.

07 · Net profit

Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.

Natco Pharma Ltd earned ₹269 Cr of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, −33.7% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹1,418 Cr. The 10-year compound rate is 24.7%. That is 36.4% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned ₹406 Cr.

Natco Pharma Ltd earned ₹269 Cr of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, −33.7% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹1,418 Cr. The 10-year compound rate is 24.7%. That is 36.4% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned ₹406 Cr.

Mar 26 profit was ₹269 Cr, −33.7% year on year. On the full year, FY26 printed ₹1,418 Cr (−24.7%), and the 10-year compound rate is 24.7%.

FY26 profit ₹1,418 Cr (−24.7% YoY) Net profit bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 11-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
24.7% a year over 10 years
Net profitYoY growth
2.0k351%1.5k240%1.0k130%50819%0−92%₹ Cr%₹1,418−24.7%FY16FY21FY26
2.0k351%1.5k240%1.0k130%50819%0−92%₹ Cr%₹1,418−24.7%FY16FY21FY26
Mar 26: ₹269 Cr (−33.7% YoY) Quarterly net profit bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Net profit (quarterly)YoY growth
730594%548424%365255%18385%0−85%₹ Cr%₹269−33.7%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
730594%548424%365255%18385%0−85%₹ Cr%₹269−33.7%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

🚨 Why profit moved: revenue contributed −39.5% and the margin −28.0 pp — the quarter was revenue-led despite a thinner margin.

Pace comparison, last four quarters: profit −17.7% vs revenue −1.6%. Profit is growing slower than sales — costs are eating the growth before it reaches the bottom line.

→ Profit rose — but did the cash follow? Next: 100% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash.

08 · Cash flow — the router

Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.

Over the last 3 fiscal years 100% of Natco Pharma Ltd's reported profit arrived as operating cash — the cash follows the profit. In FY26 that was ₹1,768 Cr of operating cash against ₹1,418 Cr of profit. After ₹381 Cr of capital spending, ₹1,387 Cr was left as free cash.

FY26: operating cash of ₹1,768 Cr against reported profit of ₹1,418 Cr, leaving free cash of ₹1,387 Cr after ₹381 Cr of capital spending. Across the last 3 fiscal years the conversion rate is 100% of profit.

Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.

FY26: CFO ₹1,768 Cr vs profit ₹1,418 Cr Operating cash flow and net profit by fiscal year, ₹ Cr; the line is free cash flow (CFO minus capital spending). 11-year window, annual resolution.
100% of 3-year profit arrived as cash
Operating cashNet profitFree cash
2.1k1.4k795164−467₹ Cr₹1,768₹1,418₹1,387FY16FY21FY26
2.1k1.4k795164−467₹ Cr₹1,768₹1,418₹1,387FY16FY21FY26
FY26: CFO = 125% of profit (three-year rate 100%) Operating cash as a share of net profit, per fiscal year, % (line). Dashed line = 100% — every unit of profit arriving as cash.
Conversion100%
133%104%76%48%19%%125%FY16FY21FY26
133%104%76%48%19%%125%FY16FY21FY26

Why conversion sits at 100%: the cash cycle tightened 196 days between FY21 and FY26 — cash that used to wait in the cycle now reaches the bank sooner.

Router verdict: the bigger cash user is investment — capital spending ran 2.0× depreciation over three years, so the next section's job is to check what that build-out is buying.

→ So follow the cash to where it goes. Next: ₹1,235 Cr of building over 3 years.

09 · Where the cash goes

Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).

Natco Pharma Ltd's cash conversion cycle runs 343 days in FY26, down from 539 days in FY21. Capital spending ran ₹1,235 Cr over the last 3 years. At FY26 sales of ₹4,078 Cr each day of that cycle holds about ₹11.2 Cr, so roughly ₹3,832 Cr sits inside the business at any moment.

FY26: debtors at 79 days, inventory at 480 days — roughly 15.8 months of stock waiting to sell; that is where the cash sits while it waits — for a full cycle of 343 days, tighter than FY21's 539.

The full loop: cash goes out to suppliers and production on day 0; stock waits 480 days to sell; customers pay about 79 days after that; and suppliers themselves are paid at 216 days — netting out to the 343-day cycle.

In money terms: at FY26 sales of ₹4,078 Cr, each day of the cycle holds about ₹11.2 Cr — so the 343-day loop keeps roughly ₹3,832 Cr sitting inside the business at any moment.

FY26: a 343-day cash cycle Debtor days, inventory days, payable days and the cash conversion cycle by fiscal year. 13-year window.
−196 days vs FY21
Cash cycleInventory daysDebtor daysPayable days
61146331516618days343d480d79d216dFY14FY17FY20FY23FY26
61146331516618days343d480d79d216dFY14FY20FY26

On the investment side: capital spending of ₹1,235 Cr over the last 3 fiscal years against ₹629 Cr of depreciation — the company is building well ahead of wear-and-tear. Capital work-in-progress stands at ₹294 Cr (FY26) — capacity paid for but not yet earning.

FY26: capex ₹381 Cr, work-in-progress ₹294 Cr Capital spending per fiscal year, ₹ Cr (bars); capital work-in-progress, ₹ Cr (line). Quarterly capital-spending history is not held for India — annual is the honest resolution.
a build-out
CapexWork-in-progress
6895173451720₹ Cr₹381₹294FY16FY18FY21FY23FY26
6895173451720₹ Cr₹381₹294FY16FY21FY26

The synthesis: the cash is going into capacity, not disappearing into the cycle — the question becomes whether the new capacity earns.

→ Does all this activity actually earn its cost of capital? Next: ROCE is 17% and the ROIC − WACC spread is +4.8 pp.

10 · Return on capital

Return on capital Return on capital employed (ROCE) is the profit the whole business earns on all the money in it — equity and debt together. It is the single best test of whether growth creates value or just size.

Natco Pharma Ltd earns a ROCE of 17% in FY26. That is up from a trough of 4% in FY22. Return on invested capital clears the cost of that capital by +4.8 percentage points, so growth here adds value rather than only size. The wiring behind it is 34.8% net margin on 0.37× asset turns.

FY26 ROCE is 17%, recovered from a FY22 trough of 4% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.

Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY26): 34.8% net margin × 0.37× asset turns × 1.20× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 15.5% on equity. Margin is doing the heavy lifting; leverage is modest — this is an earned return, not a borrowed one.

The capstone test — ROIC − WACC: 16.8% − 12.0% = a +4.8 pp spread. The 12.0% is a standing assumption for the cost of capital in India, not a per-stock estimate — read the sign and the size of the spread, not the decimals. Positive but thin — value creation with little room for error.

FY26: ROCE 17% Return on capital employed by fiscal year, % (line); ROIC by fiscal year, % (line). 13-year window, dips included. Dashed line = the 12.0% cost of capital used on this page.
the climb back from FY22's 4%
ROCEROIC (annual)WACC
42%31%21%10%0.0%%17%17.2%FY14FY20FY26
42%31%21%10%0.0%%17%17.2%FY14FY20FY26
Q4 FY26: ROCE 13.1% (TTM) vs WACC 12.0% Trailing-twelve-month ROCE and ROIC, per quarter, %; dashed line = the cost of capital. Last 12 quarters, put on a trailing-twelve-month basis and anchored to the annual figure.
ROCE (TTM)ROIC (TTM)WACC
41%33%25%18%9.9%%13.1%24.5%Q1 FY24Q2 FY25Q4 FY26
41%33%25%18%9.9%%13.1%24.5%Q1 FY24Q2 FY25Q4 FY26

→ Returns like these — is the balance sheet borrowing to make them? Next: debt-to-equity is 0.08.

11 · Debt

Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings. Low is the safe corner; the trend matters as much as the level.

Natco Pharma Ltd carries total debt of ₹714 Cr against shareholder equity of ₹9,221 Cr as of Mar 26, a debt-to-equity of 0.08 — effectively unlevered. On the annual view that ratio went from 0.10 in FY22 to 0.08 in FY26. The returns elsewhere on this page are therefore earned rather than borrowed.

Mar 26: total debt of ₹714 Cr against shareholder equity of ₹9,221 Cr — a debt-to-equity of 0.08. On the annual view, debt-to-equity went from 0.10 (FY22) to 0.08 (FY26). The returns on this page are earned, not borrowed.

FY26: debt ₹714 Cr at 0.08× equity Total debt by fiscal year, ₹ Cr (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). 5-year window.
Total debtDebt-to-equity
7710.10×5780.09×3860.07×1930.05×00.04×₹ Cr×₹7140.08×FY22FY24FY26
7710.10×5780.09×3860.07×1930.05×00.04×₹ Cr×₹7140.08×FY22FY24FY26
Mar 26: debt ₹714 Cr, debt-to-equity 0.08 Total debt per quarter, ₹ Cr (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). Last 12 quarters. India reports the full balance sheet half-yearly, so the intervening quarter carries the prior reading forward.
Total debt (quarterly)Debt-to-equity
7710.08×5780.07×3860.06×1930.04×00.03×₹ Cr×₹7140.08×Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
7710.08×5780.07×3860.06×1930.04×00.03×₹ Cr×₹7140.08×Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

→ Who owns this, and are they adding or leaving? Next: Domestic institutions cut 2.2 points over 8 quarters.

12 · Ownership

Ownership Who owns the stock, quarter by quarter: promoters (the controlling owners), foreign and domestic institutions, and the public. Steady accumulation by people close to the numbers is a signal; a quiet register is also an answer.

Domestic institutions cut 2.2 points of Natco Pharma Ltd over 8 quarters, the biggest move on the register. That takes domestic institutions to 5.6% of the company. Foreign institutions moved −0.5 points over the same window, to 17.0%. The register is read on the four disclosed classes only; nothing is inferred between filings.

The register over the last two years — Domestic institutions: −2.2 points over 8 quarters to 5.6%; Foreign institutions: −0.5 points over 8 quarters to 17.0%; Promoters: −0.3 points over 8 quarters to 49.4%.

🚨 Why the register moved: domestic institutions drove it (−2.2 points), alongside foreign institutions (−0.5 points) — distribution into the market’s bid.

Fiscal-year ends: promoters −0.3 pts from Mar 24 to Mar 26 Shareholding at each fiscal-year end (March quarter), % of the company. 3 year-ends held.
PromotersForeign inst.Domestic inst.Public
53%40%28%15%1.9%%49.4%17.4%5.5%27.7%Mar 24Mar 25Mar 26
53%40%28%15%1.9%%49.4%17.4%5.5%27.7%Mar 24Mar 25Mar 26
Domestic institutions cut 2.2 points over 8 quarters Shareholding by holder class, % of the company, quarterly, last 13 quarters.
PromotersForeign inst.Domestic inst.Public
53%40%28%15%1.8%%49.4%17.0%5.6%28.0%Jun 23Dec 24Jun 26
53%40%28%15%1.8%%49.4%17.0%5.6%28.0%Jun 23Dec 24Jun 26

→ One last check: does the safety math agree? Next: the balance-sheet safety line.

13 · Safety line

Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.

Natco Pharma Ltd: the Z-score is not available for this stock, so we say so rather than invent one. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure. The debt, cash-flow and return sections above carry the balance-sheet evidence this page does hold, and each of them states its own reporting date.

The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score is not available for this stock, so we say so rather than invent one.

Related companies · same sector · Pharma - Formulators Every company is compared on the shape of its own curves, not static ratios. The Revenue, EPS and ROCE columns each draw that company's last 12 quarters as a mini line of the ACTUAL level (trailing-twelve-month revenue and EPS, and the ROCE itself) — so a line that climbs is a business getting bigger, a line that sinks is one shrinking. The colour tracks the same line: green when it is rising or steadily healthy, amber when it is rolling over from a high (still elevated but turning down), red when it is falling, grey when flat or stuck. Colour and direction always agree — a green line never points down. The ROCE curve is the return on capital (annual readings for peers, so a slightly coarser line than the quarterly one at the top of this page). The Stage column then runs the same 12-quarter trajectory classifier used at the top of the page on each company and names where it sits. What lands a company in each bucket: CONSISTENT — growth stays positive across the window and returns are healthy (ROCE ≥ 15%, or ROE ≥ 12% for lenders); IMPROVING — profit or EPS fell into real decline, bottomed a few quarters back, and has climbed back to positive and held there; TURNING AROUND — the same kind of trough but more recent, with the latest quarters just lifting off it (an early, unconfirmed turn); TOPPING OUT — growth is still positive but decelerating hard from its own peak while returns have stopped rising; DETERIORATING — two or more growth curves are shrinking (latest below zero) and staying there, not one soft quarter; MIXED — the curves genuinely disagree, or no clean majority, so no single word fits; NO READ — fewer than eight usable quarters. It is a like-for-like read of every company against its own past, not a ranking against the group.
CompanyP/EMkt capRevenueEPSROCEStage
Natco Pharma Ltd this page11.6×₹16,504 CrTopping out
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd37.5×₹4.7L CrImproving
Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd86.1×₹1.9L CrConsistent
Cipla Ltd31.8×₹1.1L CrDeteriorating
Zydus Lifesciences Ltd20.4×₹1.1L CrConsistent
Lupin Ltd19.1×₹1.1L CrConsistent
Mankind Pharma Ltd51.4×₹1L CrTurning around
Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd29.8×₹96,130 CrDeteriorating
Aurobindo Pharma Ltd25.1×₹88,979 CrMixed
Biocon Ltd182.0×₹70,672 CrDeteriorating
Alkem Laboratories Ltd27.6×₹67,357 CrMixed
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd21.0×₹61,858 CrNo read
Ipca Laboratories Ltd37.9×₹44,720 CrConsistent
Ajanta Pharma Ltd37.3×₹42,097 CrConsistent
J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd53.8×₹38,677 CrTopping out
Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd37.7×₹35,679 CrMixed
Wockhardt Ltd106.0×₹30,048 CrNo read
Rubicon Research Ltd102.0×₹25,141 CrNo read
ERIS Lifesciences Ltd30.7×₹19,409 CrTurning around
Caplin Point Laboratories Ltd29.2×₹18,753 CrConsistent
Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd21.4×₹15,678 CrTurning around
Corona Remedies Ltd64.7×₹12,923 CrNo read
Marksans Pharma Ltd26.7×₹11,161 CrConsistent
Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd40.3×₹10,818 CrNo read
Strides Pharma Science Ltd16.6×₹9,402 CrNo read
Suven Life Sciences Ltd₹8,929 CrNo read
FDC Ltd22.6×₹6,723 CrTurning around
Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd37.4×₹4,927 CrTurning around
RPG Life Sciences Ltd44.3×₹4,858 Cr
Gufic BioSciences Ltd59.2×₹3,799 CrNo read
Kwality Pharmaceuticals Ltd42.5×₹2,886 CrConsistent
Kwality Pharmaceuticals Ltd36.6×₹2,483 CrConsistent
Sai Parenterals Ltd166.0×₹2,366 Cr
Indoco Remedies Ltd₹2,247 CrNo read
Fredun Pharmaceuticals Ltd45.4×₹1,480 CrNo read
Amrutanjan Health Care Ltd22.8×₹1,472 CrMixed
Accent Microcell Ltd27.1×₹1,187 CrNo read
Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Ltd13.2×₹1,162 CrTurning around
Bajaj Healthcare Ltd19.3×₹1,088 CrNo read
Bharat Parenterals Ltd₹990 CrNo read
12 · Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's share price today?

Natco Pharma Ltd trades at ₹945, −8.7% over the past year. The company is valued at ₹16,504 Cr. The stock sits at 36% of its 52-week range of ₹803–₹1,199, −2.0% versus its 200-day average. On the tape, the price is in a confirmed uptrend, 16 weeks in. — as of 24 July 2026.

What were Natco Pharma Ltd's latest quarterly results?

Natco Pharma Ltd reported revenue of ₹739 Cr and net profit of ₹269 Cr for the Mar 26 quarter. Revenue fell 39.5% and profit fell 33.7% year on year. Earnings per share were ₹14.96. The operating margin was 17.0%, 28.0 pp lower than a year earlier. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's revenue?

Natco Pharma Ltd reported revenue of ₹739 Cr in the Mar 26 quarter, −39.5% year on year. For the full FY26 fiscal year, revenue was ₹4,078 Cr (−7.9%). Over the last 10 years revenue compounded at 14.6% a year. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's profit?

Natco Pharma Ltd earned ₹269 Cr of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, −33.7% year on year. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹1,418 Cr. The operating margin ran 17.0% in the latest quarter. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's market cap?

Natco Pharma Ltd's market capitalisation is ₹16,504 Cr at a share price of ₹945. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's P/E ratio?

Natco Pharma Ltd trades at a P/E of 11.6×, at the 13th percentile of its own 10-year range, against a long-run median of 22.9×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 24 July 2026.

Does Natco Pharma Ltd pay a dividend?

Yes — Natco Pharma Ltd's dividend payout was 6% of profit in FY26, and it recorded a payout in each of its last 13 reported fiscal years. This page holds the payout ratio, not a per-share amount. — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd overvalued?

On its own history, Natco Pharma Ltd looks cheap against its own history: its P/E of 11.6× has been cheaper only 13% of the time in 10 years (long-run median 22.9×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd growing?

Not right now — Natco Pharma Ltd's latest numbers are shrinking: latest-quarter revenue −39.5% year on year, profit −33.7%, and the margin −28.0 pp at 17.0%. The 10-year compound rates are 14.6% (revenue) and 24.7% (profit). The earnings engine currently reads: deteriorating — as of 24 July 2026.

How is Natco Pharma Ltd performing?

Natco Pharma Ltd is in a confirmed uptrend, 16 weeks in. Its latest quarter's revenue fell 39.5% and profit fell 33.7% year on year. Against the NIFTY 500 it has been behind on a trailing-13-week view for 12 weeks. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 24 July 2026.

What stage is Natco Pharma Ltd in?

Deteriorating — revenue, profit and EPS growth are shrinking (revenue growth −7.9% latest against +59.0% at its 12-quarter best), ROCE slipping at 17.9%. The read comes from the last 12 quarters of growth (revenue growth −7.9% latest, profit growth −24.7% latest, eps growth −24.8% latest) plus the ROCE curve, classified by deterministic rules — a trajectory read, not a buy or sell call — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd in an uptrend?

Yes — the price is in a confirmed uptrend (week 16 of stage 2), trading −2.0% versus its 200-day average and at 36% of its 52-week range. Price stages cycle base → advance → top → decline, and the stage names where this stock sits in that cycle — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd beating the market?

Not lately — on a trailing-13-week view Natco Pharma Ltd is currently behind the NIFTY 500 (12 weeks and counting; last ahead the week of 2026-05-29), the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 10.4 years the stock moved +124% against the NIFTY 500's +280% — behind the index over the full window. — as of 24 July 2026.

Will Natco Pharma Ltd's share price go up?

This page publishes no price forecast for Natco Pharma Ltd. What it measures instead: the share price is ₹945, the price is in a confirmed uptrend 16 weeks in. Its P/E of 11.6× sits at the 13th percentile of its own 10-year range. — as of 24 July 2026.

Who owns Natco Pharma Ltd?

Promoters hold 49.4% of Natco Pharma Ltd, foreign institutions 17.0%, domestic institutions 5.6% and the public 28.0% (latest quarter). The biggest move on the register over the last two years: Domestic institutions cut 2.2 points over 8 quarters. — as of 24 July 2026.

Does Natco Pharma Ltd have too much debt?

No — Natco Pharma Ltd's debt-to-equity is 0.08, and operating profit covers the interest bill 39×. FY26 borrowings were ₹714 Cr against equity of ₹9,221 Cr. The returns on this page are earned, not borrowed — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's capex?

Natco Pharma Ltd spent ₹1,235 Cr on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY26 alone that was ₹381 Cr, with ₹294 Cr in capital work-in-progress — capacity paid for but not yet earning. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is Natco Pharma Ltd's cash flow?

Natco Pharma Ltd generated ₹1,768 Cr of operating cash flow in FY26 and ₹1,387 Cr of free cash flow after ₹381 Cr of capital spending. Reported profit that year was ₹1,418 Cr, so operating cash ran ahead of profit. Cash-flow resolution for India is annual. — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd's profit real cash?

Yes — over the last 3 fiscal years, 100% of Natco Pharma Ltd's reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY26, operating cash was ₹1,768 Cr against reported profit of ₹1,418 Cr. The cash then goes mostly into building capacity. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 24 July 2026.

Where is Natco Pharma Ltd in its business cycle?

Natco Pharma Ltd's FY26 operating margin was 35.0%, against a 13-year band of 14.0%–50.0%: mid-band by its own history — neither the peak that precedes mean-reversion nor the trough that precedes recovery. The latest quarter ran 17.0%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 24 July 2026.

What could break the Natco Pharma Ltd story?

The sharpest disagreement: the P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own range, but the engine is deteriorating — cheap for a reason until the quarters turn. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 24 July 2026.

Is Natco Pharma Ltd a stock worth studying right now?

This is not investment advice. The machine read: Natco Pharma Ltd is cheap for a reason. The P/E sits at the 13th percentile of its own range, and the quarters are still getting worse. The sharpest open question: whether the quarters turn before the discount closes. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 24 July 2026.

Chat with this pageChat with pageChatChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AI