Overview
Kelani Cables manufactures and distributes power and telecom cables, enamelled winding wires and electrical accessories for domestic and export markets. The key change is margin pressure in the March 2026 quarter: gross and operating margins fell to their weakest levels on record even as the company remained profitable and declared a first interim dividend for FY2026.
Price performance
KCAB closed at LKR 104 as of 2026-08-07. The share fell 26.8% over 6 months versus the ASPI’s -10.6%, but rose 66.4% over 1 year versus the ASPI’s 9.5%. It sits 30% below its 52-week high and mid-range overall. A 1-for-10 share subdivision on 2025-12-29 means restated returns differ from the as-traded series; the divergence reflects the split, not performance.
Valuation
At 9.22x P/E (14th percentile within manufacturing) and 1.48x P/B (41st percentile), KCAB screens inexpensive relative to its sector for a business that earned a 17.4% ROE in FY2025. The indicated dividend yield is 3.0%, with cover comfortable at 3.65x and a payout ratio of 27.4%.
News and sentiment
Coverage is thin: 1 material article in 90 days, positive. A first interim dividend of LKR 1.6 per share goes ex on 2026-08-14 (payable 2026-09-04).
Financials
The March 2026 quarter was weaker on margins: gross margin was 13.7% vs 23.3% a year earlier; operating margin 9.1% vs 15.3%; net margin 9.4% vs 13.5%. On own-history ranks, gross and operating margins were the worst on record for the company, while net margin was mid-pack for March quarters. Below-the-line items were small, so the compression was chiefly operational rather than finance or tax driven.
Risks
The main risk is cash generation: FY2025 cash conversion was 0.18x, indicating earnings did not translate into operating cash flow. Liquidity and funding risks are low, with interest cover at 44.5x and a current ratio of 4.9. Leverage is modest: total debt was about LKR 250 million against LKR 15.38 billion of equity at March 2026. Minority interest is negligible (0%), so group profit largely accrues to ordinary shareholders.
Outlook
As at 2026-08-07, the next numbers are due now: the June 2026 quarter is expected between 2026-07-28 and 2026-10-26. The key question is whether operating and gross margins rebound from March’s lows; an improvement would align with the low P/E, while further pressure would justify the recent de-rating. Near-term, the LKR 1.6 dividend goes ex on 2026-08-14.