CARE Ratings Limited (CARERATING)
🎯 Key Takeaways
- CARE Ratings Limited is in a mature, cash-generative phase within the credit rating and financial services sector, characterized by stable profitability and consistent shareholder returns. Despite a challenging market environment reflected in its -10% one-year return, the company continues to demonstrate operational resilience with healthy margins and recurring revenue streams.
- Revenue declined 17.9% QoQ to ₹96 in Q3FY25.
- ⚠️ Margin compression in core rating operations, with OPM declining sharply from 47.5% to 31.6% over recent quarters, poses a profitability risk not full
📖 The Story
CARE Ratings Limited is in a mature, cash-generative phase within the credit rating and financial services sector, characterized by stable profitability and consistent shareholder returns. Despite a challenging market environment reflected in its -10% one-year return, the company continues to demonstrate operational resilience with healthy margins and recurring revenue streams. Management is focused on governance continuity, leadership succession, and incremental capital efficiency improvements rather than aggressive growth initiatives.
📰 What's Happening
In the most recent quarter, CARE Ratings approved its FY2025-26 audited financials at the 33rd AGM on July 3, 2026, declaring a final dividend of Rs 14 per share — up from previous periods — signaling confidence in cash flow stability. The board also re-appointed B S R & Co. LLP as statutory auditor for five years, ensuring continuity in financial oversight. Additionally, Sanjay Agarwal was appointed Chief Risk Officer effective August 1, 2026, reinforcing governance depth. Earlier, the board allotted 11,250 shares under the 2020 ESOP scheme, slightly diluting equity but supporting employee retention. These actions underscore a focus on governance, compliance, and incremental operational discipline.
Source: Stock Announcements
📊 Quarterly Results (₹ Cr)
| Metric | Q4FY23 | Q1FY24 | Q2FY24 | Q3FY24 | Q4FY24 | Q1FY25 | Q2FY25 | Q3FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 78 | 66 | 96 | 79 | 90 | 79 | 117 | 96 |
| Operating Profit | 38 | 29 | 53 | 37 | 39 | 34 | 68 | 42 |
| OPM % | 35.3% | 26.8% | 43.5% | 29.7% | 32.2% | 27.6% | 47.5% | 31.6% |
| Net Profit | 20 | 18 | 36 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 47 | 28 |
| EPS | ₹6.60 | ₹6.00 | ₹11.83 | ₹7.88 | ₹8.07 | ₹6.94 | ₹15.42 | ₹9.30 |
The company's quarterly performance shows a clear trend of margin compression and earnings volatility, with operating profit margin declining from a peak of 47.5% in Q2FY25 to 31.6% in Q3FY25, despite relatively stable revenue around ₹90–117 crores. Net profit and EPS have also dipped sequentially, with Q3FY25 NP at ₹28 crores and EPS at ₹9.3, down from ₹47 crores and ₹15.42 in the prior quarter. This softening in profitability appears to be influenced by higher operating expenses or pricing pressures not fully offset by revenue growth, which management has not explicitly attributed to specific cost initiatives in the filings.
🔮 Management Outlook & What's Next
Management has not provided forward-looking financial guidance in the reviewed filings, but the reappointment of the auditor and leadership appointments suggest confidence in long-term governance and operational continuity. The declaration of a higher final dividend reflects a commitment to shareholder returns, though sustainability depends on margin recovery. No strategic expansion or revenue diversification plans were disclosed in the recent announcements, indicating a conservative, defensive posture focused on core rating operations and regulatory compliance.
Extracted from official company announcements. Not StockFin.ai's opinion.
⚖️ Peer Comparison — Capital Markets
| Company | MCap (₹ Cr) | P/E | ROCE | ROE | D/E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBI-ETF Nifty 50 | 2.06 L Cr | — | — | — | — |
| BSE Limited | 1.63 L Cr | 174.4 | — | — | — |
| ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited | 1.58 L Cr | — | — | — | — |
| Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited | 1.18 L Cr | — | — | — | — |
| HDFC Asset Management Company Limited | 1.16 L Cr | 49.0 | — | — | — |
| Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited | 86,468 | — | — | — | — |
| Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited | 70,250 | 52.2 | — | — | — |
| UTI Nifty 50 ETF | 68,813 | — | — | — | — |
| Nippon India ETF Nifty 50 BeES | 62,392 | — | — | — | — |
| NIPPON INDIA ETF GOLD BEES | 58,044 | — | — | — | — |
⚠️ Risk Factors
1. Margin compression in core rating operations, with OPM declining sharply from 47.5% to 31.6% over recent quarters, poses a profitability risk not fully explained by management. 2. Revenue stagnation and volatility, with sequential declines in Q3FY25 and Q1FY25, could limit growth visibility in a competitive financial services landscape. 3. High P/E of 45.3 relative to sector peers may reflect market expectations not aligned with current earnings trends, creating valuation sensitivity.
📋 Recent Filings
-
share transfer 6 July 2026CARE Ratings Limited received a SEBI Regulation 74(5) certificate from KFin Technologies for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, confirming dematerialize...
-
🟡 Board Meeting 3 July 2026CARE Ratings held its 33rd AGM on July 3, 2026, approving the audited financials for FY2025-26, declaring a final dividend of Rs 14 per share, and rea...
-
🟡 Board Meeting 3 July 2026CARE Ratings announced that shareholders at the 33rd Annual General Meeting approved the re-appointment of B S R & Co. LLP as statutory auditors for f...
-
🔴 Announcement 1 July 2026CARE Ratings announced the appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as Chief Risk Officer effective August 1, 2026, leveraging his 30 years in risk management an...
-
Financial Results 26 June 2026CARE Ratings Limited announced that its trading window for securities will close on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and remain closed until 48 hours after th...
-
Announcement 25 June 2026CARE Ratings announced that its analyst/institutional investor meeting, originally set for June 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM IST, has been rescheduled to June ...
-
Announcement 22 June 2026CARE Ratings announced its schedule for upcoming analyst and institutional investor meetings, including a virtual session with Securities on June 26, ...
-
Announcement 17 June 2026CARE Ratings announced its upcoming non-deal roadshow on June 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Pune, organized by Ambit Capital, to discuss publicly available...
-
🟡 Board Meeting 10 June 2026The board approved the allotment of 11,250 equity shares to employees under the 2020 ESOP scheme, increasing paid-up capital from Rs. 30,04,91,630 to ...
-
🔴 annual report 8 June 2026CARE Ratings announced that its 33rd Annual General Meeting will be held on July 3, 2026 via video conference, with a final dividend payable on or bef...
🧠 Analyst's Read
CARE Ratings remains a fundamentally stable player in the credit rating space, but near-term earnings pressure and margin decline warrant close monitoring. Investors should watch for signs of cost optimization or revenue stabilization in upcoming quarters, as well as any strategic shifts in service offerings or pricing power.
Based on filing content and financial data. Not a recommendation.
Read the full analysis
Quarterly trends, balance sheet, cash flow, peer comparison, and AI insights — sign up free to unlock.
Sign Up Free — Unlock Full Analysis2 free AI queries per day.
Data sourced from stock announcements. Analysis generated by StockFin.ai.
For informational purposes only — not investment advice. Updated 2026-07-15.
📡 Get AI alerts when CARERATING files new disclosures
Track CARERATING filings, board meetings, and corporate actions. Free email alerts at 5 PM.
Track CARERATING — FreeFree account · 2 AI queries/day
© 2026 StockFin.ai — AI-powered Indian stock research