



Tough ride for Creta, muted GST gains: How Hyundai is navigating a rocky road
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Hyundai Motor India Ltd’s December quarter (Q3FY26) results drew a lacklustre reaction from the Street. While Ebitda margin was flat year-on-year at 11.2%, unit economics improved slightly.
Ebitda (excluding other operating revenue) per vehicle increased by 2% to ₹82,067 per vehicle due to the sharp rise in staff costs and other expenses, even as gross profit per vehicle rose faster by about 9% to ₹217,000. Some of the cost increases can be attributed to the commissioning of a new plant in Pune. Volumes were lacklustre, with domestic sales flat year-on-year at 1.47 lakh units.
In contrast, rival Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s volumes grew 21% to 5.65 lakh units. The stock prices mirror this dichotomy in growth. It appears that the gains from the reduction in the goods and services tax (GST) rates were limited for Hyundai, shares of which are now below their closing price before Independence Day, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi initially hinted at a GST rate cut.
During this time, Maruti’s stock has appreciated by 10%, though this is well below the 34% gain it had made at the peak. Maruti ended up as a bigger beneficiary of the GST rate cuts in September by virtue of its small and compact car portfolio that rose by 25%, faster than its overall domestic growth. For Hyundai, “Entry into the commercial mobility segment, and new launches are yet to translate into meaningful volume growth," said JM Financial Institutional Securities.
Read on livemint.com