Espirito Santo has downgraded Bangalore-based Biocon to "sell" from "neutral" and sharply revised its target price to Rs 186 a share from Rs 350, flagging off several issues, which it says raise accounting and corporate governance questions over at the biotech firm.
Biocon Ltd, India top biotechnology company, reported a 4% drop in quarterly profit due to higher energy costs and rise in wages, but said strong demand from branded formulations offered opportunities for growth.
Biotechnology company Biocon's consolidated net profit for the first quarter fell almost 9% from a year ago to Rs 70.05 crore, while net sales were up over 10% to Rs 441.68 crore.
This quarter Biocon's net profit has risen 25% from the same period last year to 101 crore rupees, meeting analyst estimates and to keep this growth going, Biocon is shedding the fat, reports CNBC-TV18's Vineetha Athrey.