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LVL Energy Fund PLC: research report

Moderately overvaluedbearishSep 30, 2026

Evidence points bearish because June-quarter profit fell 71.3% as revenue contracted, while operating profit barely covered finance costs. The counterweight is a 0.66 times P/B, the lowest in its sector.

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Why bearish

  • June-quarter net profit fell 71.3% year-on-year, with revenue down 8.2%, weakening the earnings behind the current valuation.
  • Interest cover was only 0.17 times in FY2026, meaning operating profit covered very little of the finance bill.
  • The latest quarter's operating margin ranked a middling 5th of 7 comparable June quarters, rather than signalling an exceptional operating result.

Against this. The shares trade at 0.66 times book value, the lowest P/B in the power and energy peer group.

Operating margin
37.2%sector 34.5%
from 36.8% a year earlier
Net margin
94.9%sector 20.7%
from 303.3% a year earlier, revenue -8.2%
Return on equity
4.0%sector 6.1%
full year to Mar 31, 2026
P/E
29.2sector 24.7
earnings Rs 0.20 per share
P/B
0.66sector 1.86
book Rs 8.95 per share
Dividend yield
0.00%sector 1.43%
trailing twelve months

Current figures, updated daily from filings to Jun 30, 2026. The report below was written on Sep 30, 2026. Sector figures are the median of 11 listed companies in the same sector.

Overview

LVL Energy Fund holds and manages power-generation and energy investments, including hydro, thermal and regional generation ventures. The latest June filing showed lower revenue and sharply lower profit from the comparable quarter, with much of the reported profit still coming from items below operating profit rather than the generation portfolio's core operating result.

Price performance

At LKR 5.90 on 30 September 2026, the share had fallen 49.8% over one year, against a 0.7% decline in the ASPI. It sat near the bottom of its 52-week range, 3.5% above the low, while recent volatility was below its own one-year norm and trading volume was above its 60-day norm.

The three-year record includes three declines of 15% or more, with the deepest at 54% and not yet recovered. Liquidity is limited: a LKR 1 million order is about 54% of what trades on a typical day, a large part of a day's trading.

Valuation

The P/E is 29.2 times, meaning the market price represents LKR 29.20 for each LKR 1 of trailing profit, above the sector median of 18.9 times. That multiple rests heavily on the latest quarter, which supplied 52.7% of trailing EPS; if that quarter had earned its year-ago net margin, the same price would equate to 13.5 times profit.

The P/B is 0.66 times, or 66 cents for each rupee of net assets, and is the lowest among 10 power and energy peers. It is also cheaper than 69% of days since January 2019. However, the latest audited ROE was only 4.1%, so the low price-to-book ratio sits alongside a modest return generated on owners' capital.

There is no current dividend yield, and no dividend is on record in the last two years. The most recent recorded payout was LKR 0.338 per share in FY2021, so valuation support currently comes from book value rather than income.

News and sentiment

Direct coverage was normal rather than unusually loud, with four material articles over 90 days, all classified neutral. The items included a CSE enforcement action reported on 25 June 2026, a rights-issue notice reported on 25 May, and the appointment of a statutory auditor reported on 30 September.

The rights issue went ex on 22 April 2026 at LKR 7.50 per share, a 14.8% discount to the LKR 8.80 close before the ex-date. Holders who did not participate were diluted, while those who subscribed contributed new capital.

Financials

June-quarter revenue fell 8.2% year-on-year and net profit fell 71.3%. Gross margin was 54.8% versus 50.4% a year earlier, operating margin was 37.2% versus 36.8%, and net margin was 94.9% versus 303.3%. The stable operating margin shows the core revenue decline was not matched by a major operating-margin collapse, but the much lower net margin shows that profit remained dependent on gains outside normal operations.

Operating profit fell 7.4%, while the below-operating result was a LKR 62 million gain against a LKR 313 million gain a year earlier. That reduction explains why net profit fell much faster than operating profit. The 37.2% operating margin ranked 5th of seven comparable June quarters, a middling outcome in the company's own record.

The rights issue increased shares in issue from 698.7 million at March to 766.4 million at June. The June balance sheet used the same 766.4 million shares now in issue, so the stated LKR 8.95 net assets per share is on the current share count. These June figures remain the latest filing and are historical as at 30 September 2026.

Risks

The leading risk is debt servicing. FY2026 interest cover was only 0.17 times, meaning operating profit covered only a small fraction of the finance bill; this was down from 0.74 times in FY2025. Debt was 43.6% of owners' equity, so borrowing remains meaningful relative to the capital belonging to ordinary shareholders.

The current ratio was 0.61 times, meaning the group had 61 cents of short-term assets, including receivables and other current assets, for each rupee of bills due within a year. It therefore had less short-term assets lined up than short-term obligations. Operating cash flow was negative relative to operating profit, with cash conversion of -1.19 times, so reported operating profit did not translate into cash in FY2026.

Minority interests received 12.7% of FY2026 group profit. Group net profit therefore overstates the profit attributable to the ordinary shares being valued. Sector conditions also include public energy-cost relief and policy changes around rooftop solar, leaving tariff and cost recovery dependent on broader policy settings rather than company-specific disclosures.

Outlook

As at 30 September 2026, the next material event is the interim filing for the quarter ending 30 September, expected between 6 and 14 November. It will replace the June figures and show whether the lower revenue and reduced below-operating gains persisted or reversed.

The data cannot establish the terms or earnings effect of any further portfolio changes. The immediate operating context is a power sector facing energy-cost relief measures and changing solar rules, but the available backdrop does not quantify their effect on LVL Energy Fund's assets.

About this report. Generated on Sep 30, 2026 from market data up to Sep 30, 2026, 4 material news articles over 90 days and financials to Jun 30, 2026, and scored 33 of 100 on value (moderately 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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