

Metals rally masks growth hurdles at Hindustan Zinc
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Hindustan Zinc's robust March quarter (Q4FY26) performance, aided by the sharp rally in silver and zinc prices, masks an underlying vulnerability: its limited capacity for further production growth.Silver production at 627 tonnes was lower year-on-year in FY26, missing the guidance of 705 tonnes. FY27 guidance is 685 tonnes. Refined metals (zinc plus lead) production of 1.05 million tonnes (mt) in FY26 also missed guidance, and was lower year-on-year.
While management has guided for production to reach 1.1 mt in FY27, this could be a tough task, given that output has stagnated around 1.03-1.05 mt over the past four years. A big jump in output is seen only after its 0.25 million-tonnes-per-annum (mtpa) expansion project is commissioned, which is expected by Q2FY29.Another worry for HZL is the rise in the cost of production (CoP) of zinc, hurt by the higher cost of explosives, chemicals and logistics as a result of the ongoing West Asia war. Management has guided for a CoP of $975-1,000 per tonne for FY27 (excluding royalties), which could hit margins.
CoP dropped to an all-time-low of $903 a tonne in Q4FY26, and was $959 a tonne in FY26, led by soft coal prices, higher by-product realization, and better mined grades. HZL is also benefitting from the rising share of renewable energy in total energy consumption.For now, HZL investors are reaping a bonanza. Average silver realization grew 140% year-on-year to ₹2.3 lakh per kg in Q4FY26, buoyed by strong industrial demand and supply constraints.
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