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Hunas Holdings PLC: research report

OvervaluedbearishSep 16, 2026

Evidence points to a weaker company than its overvalued price allows for: the June quarter moved to a LKR 62 million loss. The catch is gross margin was among its better June readings.

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Why bearish

  • The June quarter moved from a small profit to a LKR 62 million loss as revenue fell 28.1%.
  • The shares trade at 5.0 times book value, the highest P/B in the 21-company diversified-holdings peer set.
  • The market-wide valuation score is 3 of 100, placing Hunas in the Overvalued band.

Against this. June gross margin of 26.1% was the second-best result among its four comparable June quarters.

Operating margin
3.2%sector 9.0%
from 10.7% a year earlier
Net margin
-32.7%sector 3.2%
from 1.0% a year earlier, revenue -28.1%
Return on equity
-1.3%sector 10.2%
full year to Mar 31, 2026
P/B
4.87sector 1.29
book Rs 2.98 per share
Dividend yield
0.00%sector 2.09%
trailing twelve months

Current figures, updated daily from filings to Jun 30, 2026. The report below was written on Sep 16, 2026. Sector figures are the median of 22 listed companies in the same sector.

Overview

Hunas Holdings is a diversified Sri Lankan operator spanning plantations, hospitality, renewable energy and logistics. The latest quarter marked a reversal from a small profit into a loss as sales and operating profit weakened, while finance costs remained material.

Its portfolio adds several potential earnings drivers, but the current filing shows that the operating businesses have not yet translated into a durable group profit.

Price performance

At LKR 14.90 on 16 September 2026, the share fell 10.7% over one month against a 2.3% ASPI decline. It also lagged the index over the week, three months, six months and year, so the recent weakness is not simply a market-wide move.

The price sits near the bottom of its 52-week range. Trading volatility is above its own one-year norm while recent volume is below its 60-day norm, indicating an active but thinner recent market. The three-year record shows four falls of 15% or more, the deepest 53%, which has not yet recovered.

Liquidity is a material practical constraint: a LKR 1 million order is more than everything that trades on a typical day (867% of it).

Valuation

The valuation is difficult to support with current earnings: Hunas is loss-making, so no meaningful P/E is available, and it has no dividend on record in the last two years. Its 5.0 times P/B means the market price is five rupees for each rupee of net assets, versus a sector median of 1.21 times.

That P/B is the highest among 21 diversified-holdings peers, while the latest audited return on equity was negative 1.3%. A buyer at this price is therefore paying a substantial premium to book value despite an audited loss and no cash payout. The company's own P/B record cannot be compared because the historical book series does not align with the page's current P/B.

News and sentiment

Coverage has been unusually heavy, with three articles in the last 30 days versus a normal monthly baseline of one. Four material articles over 90 days were positive, led by the partnership with Tokyo-based CCH Inc and investor Yoshimichi Watanabe, reported on 16 September, for real estate and hospitality expansion.

The partnership took effect on 14 September according to the news report, but no financial terms were disclosed, so its earnings significance cannot be sized. The news flow also includes a CSE trading-suspension notification reported on 7 May and a June change of auditors.

Financials

June-quarter revenue fell 28.1% year-on-year to LKR 190 million, and operating profit fell 78.6% to LKR 6 million. Net profit moved from a LKR 2.6 million profit to a LKR 62 million loss, meaning the quarter reduced rather than added to the profit represented by each share.

Gross margin was 26.1% versus 62.7% a year earlier, operating margin was 3.2% versus 10.7%, and net margin was negative 32.7% versus 1.0%. June has been Hunas's strongest quarter for gross margin on average over the three complete years on record, yet the latest gross margin was only second of four comparable June quarters. Operating margin was also second of three June readings, while net margin was third of four, among the weaker comparable June results.

Below operating profit, LKR 68 million of costs and other charges turned a modest operating profit into the net loss. Equity attributable to owners was LKR 2.5 billion at June, and the filing used the same 849 million shares currently in issue, so the loss is not explained by a change in share count. These results are historical through 30 June 2026.

Risks

The largest risk is short-term financial pressure. At the latest audited year-end, gearing was 54.5%, meaning debt equalled about 55 cents for every rupee belonging to owners, while total debt was LKR 1.4 billion. Profit before tax plus finance costs covered the interest bill only 0.96 times, leaving little earnings capacity above financing costs.

The current ratio was 0.51, meaning Hunas had 51 cents of short-term assets, including inventory and customer receivables, for each rupee of bills due within a year. Free cash flow was negative LKR 8 million in the audited year, adding pressure where liquidity is already tight.

Plantations and agriculture account for 65% of reported segment revenue. The sector backdrop as at 16 September cited dry-weather risk, lower tea export earnings and fuel-cost pressure, leaving the group's largest revenue exposure exposed to a difficult operating environment. Power represents the remaining 35% of reported segment revenue and faces its own fuel-cost backdrop.

Outlook

As at 16 September 2026, the next defined catalyst is the September interim quarter, expected to be filed between 6 and 14 November. It will show whether the June revenue contraction and loss persisted, and whether the strategic partnership has produced any disclosed operational or financial contribution.

The partnership's terms were not disclosed, so this data cannot establish its likely revenue, capital requirement or profit effect. The broader plantations backdrop remains important because it represents the largest reported revenue exposure, while the balance sheet leaves limited room for another weak operating period.

About this report. Generated on Sep 16, 2026 from market data up to Sep 16, 2026, 4 material news articles over 90 days and financials to Jun 30, 2026, and scored 3 of 100 on value (overvalued) when it was written. Every figure is drawn from EquityLK's own data on this company. AI research can contain errors, so treat it as a starting point, not investment advice.

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