Overview
First Capital Holdings PLC is a diversified capital markets group spanning primary dealership in government securities, corporate finance, asset management and stockbroking. The key change is a sharp deterioration in operating performance in the March quarter, which swung into a loss and dragged full-year earnings lower.
Price performance
At LKR 47.90 as of 2026-08-07, the share lagged the market in recent months: it fell 18.6% over three months versus the ASPI’s -7.1%, while over 12 months it rose 21.6% against the index’s 9.5%. The price sits 28.6% below its 52-week high.
Valuation
P/E is 10.0, higher than the sector’s 7.36 median, and P/B is 2.47, near the top of the sector by this measure. The dividend yield is 14.6%, but the payout has been moving down, from LKR 17.25 per share in FY2024 to LKR 7.0 in FY2026. The mix implies a rich multiple versus peers supported by historically strong profitability, but the yield rests on a shrinking distribution.
News and sentiment
Coverage is thin: 2 material items over the past 90 days. The company disclosed FY2026 profit after tax of LKR 2.10 billion on 29 May 2026. There has been no company news in the last 30 days while the share fell 18.6% over three months.
Financials
Quarter to 31 Mar 2026: operating margin fell from 62.2% a year ago to -33.7%, and the group posted a net loss of about LKR 1.2 billion. This was an operating setback rather than a below-the-line swing, and it follows a volatile earnings run across recent quarters.
Full year FY2026: net profit was LKR 2.1 billion, down 58% year-on-year, with ROE at 24.6%. The step-down versus FY2025 reflects much weaker operating leverage through the second half despite modest revenue growth.
Risks
Balance-sheet leverage is the principal risk: gearing was 220.1% of owners’ equity at FY2026 on LKR 17.3 billion of debt. Dividend sustainability is another pressure point, with dividend cover at 0.68x and a 146.7% payout ratio on trailing earnings. A material minority interest claim (8.2% of group profit) means not all group earnings accrue to ordinary shareholders. The share also carries a high market co-movement, with a beta to the ASPI of 1.71.
Outlook
As at 7 Aug 2026 the next figures, for the quarter ended 30 Jun 2026, are due; the exchange’s history suggests publication between 28 Jul and 26 Oct 2026. That print will show whether March’s operating loss was an aberration or the start of a weaker phase. Sector conditions have turned more supportive, with Treasury bill yields falling for a fourth week, a backdrop consistent with healthier bond-trading income for a primary dealer, but the filed results will carry the answer.