BPCL Q1 Results: PSU firm posts net loss of ₹3,962 crore

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Wednesday, 22 July, reported a net loss of ₹3,962 crore for the June quarter (Q1 FY27), compared with a net profit of ₹3,191 crore in the preceding March quarter, impacted by margin pressures. The net profit fell from ₹6,124 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue from operations increased 23.1% year-on-year to ₹1,59,479.28 crore in the June quarter from ₹1,29,577.89 crore a year earlier. Total income also rose 23.3% YoY to ₹1,60,732.72 crore, compared with ₹1,30,326.60 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

The Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter was a loss of ₹4,077 crore, compared with an EBITDA profit of ₹10,060 crore in the March quarter.

The company's total expenses increased sharply during the quarter, primarily due to higher raw material costs, stock purchases, and inventory-related expenses. Cost of materials consumed surged to ₹90,588 crore from ₹53,686 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, while purchase of stock-in-trade rose to ₹65,348 crore from ₹40,783 crore.

A significant drag on profitability came from changes in inventories of finished goods, stock-in-trade, and work-in-progress, which stood at ₹18,368 crore, compared with a negative ₹1,335 crore in the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, excise duty declined to ₹8,250 crore from ₹17,063 crore a year earlier, while employee benefits expense eased to ₹832 crore from ₹902 crore. Finance costs increased to ₹415 crore from ₹373 crore, depreciation and amortisation expenses rose to ₹2,066 crore from ₹1,882 crore, and other expenses climbed to ₹6,906 crore from ₹6,145 crore.

As a result, BPCL reported a loss before exceptional items and tax of ₹5,305 crore, compared with a profit of ₹8,156 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Loss before tax also came in at ₹5,305.18 crore, against a profit before tax of ₹8,156 crore a year ago.

On the operational front, refinery throughput stood at 10.15 million metric tonnes (MMT) during the quarter, down from 10.42 MMT in the year-ago period and 10.40 MMT in the preceding quarter. Market sales were largely stable at 13.62 MMT, compared with 13.58 MMT a year earlier, while export sales increased to 0.51 MMT from 0.45 MMT in the corresponding quarter last year.

Dhanya Nagasundaram works as a Content Producer at LiveMint, specializing in news related to financial markets, stocks, and business. With over eight years of experience in journalism and content creation, she has honed her skills in data-driven reporting and market analysis. Her focus is on monitoring stock trends, initial public offerings (IPOs), corporate news, policy shifts, and larger economic trends that affect investors and market players. <br><br> At LiveMint, Dhanya consistently writes and produces articles that make complex financial topics accessible to readers. She keeps a close eye on equity markets, commodities, and macroeconomic indicators, assisting audiences in comprehending how global and domestic events influence investment perspectives. Her stories frequently underscore emerging trends within sectors, the IPO market, company earnings results, and market strategies pertinent to both retail and institutional investors. <br><br> Before her tenure at LiveMint, Dhanya accumulated a wealth of professional experience at various companies, including MintGenie, Informist, Cogenics, Chary Publications, KPMG, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. These positions allowed her to establish a solid foundation in financial research, reporting, and content creation. <br><br> Throughout her career, she has explored numerous subjects such as trading strategies, commodities, IPOs, wealth generation, corporate profits, and macroeconomic indicators. Her background in both financial journalism and corporate settings has given her the ability to tackle stories with analytical rigor while ensuring clarity for her audience. Through her con...