Press Release

VIS Reaffirms Entity Ratings of Akram Cotton Mills Limited

Karachi, December 06, 2024: VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (‘VIS’) has reaffirmed the entity ratings of Akram Cotton Mills Limited (“ACML” or “the Company”) at ‘BBB/A2’ (Triple B/A Two). Medium to long term rating of 'BBB' indicates Adequate credit quality; Protection factors are reasonable and sufficient. Risk factors are considered variable if changes occur in the economy. Short-term rating of 'A2' suggests good likelihood of timely repayment of short-term obligations with sound short-term liquidity factors. Outlook on the assigned ratings remains ‘Stable’. Previous ratings action was announced on February 27, 2024.

ACML is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of yarn, primarily catering to the local hosiery industry. The product portfolio has been expanded to include combed cotton yarn and is marketed under the brand names ‘Anmol,’ ‘Super Anmol,’ and ‘Mahnoor,’ predominantly to local customers. The Company’s head office is located in Lahore, while its manufacturing facilities are based in Pattoki, Punjab, approximately 90 kilometers from Lahore on the Lahore-Multan National Highway. Cotton, the primary raw material, is sourced from the local market. The shareholding structure is concentrated within the sponsoring family, which actively manages business operations.

Assigned ratings highlight the high-to-medium business risk profile of Pakistan's textile spinning sector. This evaluation considers demand-side challenges and supply-side constraints, including raw material availability, energy shortages, and evolving regulatory policies. While domestic cotton production increased in FY24, reducing reliance on imports, elevated energy tariffs have significantly impacted operational costs. The sector also contends with competitive pressures from regional peers and macroeconomic challenges, such as currency depreciation and high inflation. Regulatory uncertainties, particularly the removal of preferential energy tariffs for export-oriented sectors, have introduced additional risks. The Company actively manages relationships with key clients, leveraging long-standing associations to mitigate risks associated with revenue concentration.

Assigned ratings also take into account the financial risk profile of the Company. Despite an increase in revenue driven by higher sales volumes, profitability remained constrained due to the high cost of carryover inventory of the raw cotton from the prior year and escalating energy costs. The capitalization profile, while historically conservative, saw increased short-term borrowings in FY23 to address working capital requirements. In FY24, short-term debt was slightly reduced, marginally improving the leverage and gearing metrics. Liquidity metrics remained adequate, supported by improvements in the cash conversion cycle, despite a slight decline in the current ratio. Coverage metrics reflected some recovery as operations normalized but remained under pressure due to profitability constraints.

Going forward, ratings will remain sensitive to the Company's ability to address profitability challenges, improve margins, and manage energy cost. Reduced interest rates are expected to ease pressure off the coverage metrics which will be important considerations for the assigned ratings.

For further information on this ratings announcement, please contact on 021-35311861-64 or email at info@vis.com.pk.








Applicable Rating Criteria:
Industrial Corporates
https://docs.vis.com.pk/docs/CorporateMethodology.pdf
VIS Issue/Issuer Rating Scale
https://docs.vis.com.pk/docs/VISRatingScales.pdf

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