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PMF Finance PLC: research report

Moderately overvaluedbearishSep 3, 2026

PMF Finance's debt rose to LKR 19.2 billion, lifting gearing to 562.7% of equity. Earnings grew in the last audited year, but leverage, weak shares and funding uncertainty dominate the picture.

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Why bearish

  • Debt reached LKR 19.2 billion and gearing rose to 562.7% of owners' equity.
  • The share fell 28.2% over one year while the ASPI gained 3.0%.
  • The P/E of 11.6 sits at the 68th percentile of 48 sector peers.

Against this. Last audited-year net profit rose 14.2%.

Operating margin
27.1%sector 40.4%
latest quarter
Net margin
10.0%sector 17.8%
latest quarter
Return on equity
10.8%sector 13.0%
full year to Mar 31, 2026
P/E
9.9sector 6.9
earnings Rs 0.91 per share
P/B
1.05sector 0.94
book Rs 8.61 per share
Dividend yield
0.00%sector 2.16%
trailing twelve months

Current figures, updated daily from filings to Jun 30, 2026. The report below was written on Sep 3, 2026. Sector figures are the median of 54 listed companies in the same sector.

Overview

PMF Finance provides leasing, trade finance, secured lending, deposit mobilisation, advisory and investment-related services. The central change is a sharp expansion in debt funding relative to equity, even as the latest audited year recorded higher revenue and profit.

Price performance

PMB closed at LKR 10.20 on 1 September 2026. The share fell 16.4% over three months against a 4.2% decline in the ASPI, and was down 28.2% over one year while the index gained 3.0%.

The price sat only 3.3% into its 52-week range from the low. Both 60-day volatility and 20-day trading volume were below the company's own recent norms, indicating quieter trading despite the extended decline.

Valuation

PMB trades on a P/E of 11.6, placing it at the 68th percentile among 48 banks and finance peers and above the sector median. Its P/B of 1.18 is at the 58th percentile among 53 peers, while the latest audited-year ROE was 10.8%.

The dividend yield is 0.0%, versus a 3.5% sector median. No dividend history is supplied, so the direction and sustainability of any payout cannot be assessed.

News and sentiment

Company coverage was about normal: 2 articles in the last 30 days versus a monthly baseline of 1.3. Of 5 material items over 90 days, 1 was positive, 2 negative and 2 neutral.

The material flow included a credit-rating review on 17 August, enforcement action under CSE listing rules on 15 July, and withdrawal of a proposed LKR 1 billion debenture issue on 11 July. The available disclosures do not explain the reasons for the withdrawal or the content of the 2 September corporate disclosure.

Financials

The June 2026 quarter was filed on a company basis, whereas the June 2025 comparator was filed on a group basis, so year-on-year revenue, profit and margin comparisons are not like-for-like. Gross profit and gross margin were not reported. Operating margin was 27.1% and net margin 10.0%, with LKR 142 million separating operating profit from net profit through finance costs, tax and other below-operating items.

June is structurally PMF's weakest quarter for net margin across the five complete years measured, so the latest quarterly net margin should not be read as deterioration without a comparable-basis June record. The latest audited year ended March 2026 recorded revenue growth of 36.9%; owners' equity was LKR 3.49 billion and shares outstanding were 405.2 million. The audited annual net-profit growth was 14.2%.

Risks

Leverage is the primary risk. Total debt rose to LKR 19.2 billion at March 2026, taking gearing to 562.7% of owners' equity from 126.6% a year earlier. This leaves earnings and capital more exposed to funding costs and asset-quality pressure.

Interest cover was not disclosed for the latest audited year. The withdrawn LKR 1 billion debenture proposal also leaves less visibility on the intended funding mix. Sector-wide tighter customer due-diligence requirements and higher penalties add compliance risk for finance companies.

Outlook

As at 3 September 2026, the next scheduled information event is the filing for the quarter ending 30 September 2026, expected between 12 November 2026 and 2 March 2027. It should update lending growth, profitability and the funding position following the withdrawn debenture proposal.

As at 3 September 2026, easing Treasury yields provide a potentially more favourable funding backdrop, while August inflation of 8.0% and tighter sector compliance requirements create offsetting pressures. The available data cannot determine how PMF's funding costs, credit quality or regulatory position will develop before the next filing.

About this report. Generated on Sep 3, 2026 from market data up to Sep 1, 2026, 5 material news articles over 90 days and financials to Jun 30, 2026. 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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