LALPATHLAB

April 25 (Reuters) - Dr Lal Path Labs DLPA.NS, India's largest diagnostics firm by revenue, reported fourth-quarter profit above expectations on Friday as strong demand for its bundled test packages lifted growth amid rising health awareness in the country.

The company's consolidated net profit jumped 83.2% year-on-year to 1.55 billion rupees (about $18 million) in the quarter ended March 31, beating analysts' average estimate of 1.02 billion rupees, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Dr Lal's shares, which were trading down 1.2%, jumped nearly 6% after results.

A rising emphasis on preventive healthcare, along with the expansion of diagnostics firms like Dr Lal Path Labs into smaller cities, has fueled demand for medical tests, especially in urban India.

Moreover, the company benefited from strong demand for its bundled tests offerings, which combine tests for multiple conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid, under one, analysts said.

Dr Lal, which operates about 300 clinical labs across India, saw a 9.5% y/y rise in sample volume in the reported quarter, taking its total revenue from operations 10.5% higher to 6.03 billion rupees. Analysts expected revenue to come in at 6.04 billion rupees.

Rival Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS will report its March-quarter results in the coming weeks.

($1 = 85.4100 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy)

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April 15 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• DR. LAL PATHLABS LTD - LAUNCHES ADVANCED TEST FOR AMYLOIDOSIS

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** Shares of Metropolis Healthcare Ltd METP.NS rise 4.4% to 1,813.75 rupees

** Medical diagnostics firm reported a 15.5% rise in Q3 profit on higher sales of costlier tests after market hours on Tuesday; rev up 10%

** METP and larger rival Dr Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS rated "Hold", while analysts rate smaller rival Vijaya Diagnostic VIJA.NS "Buy" - LSEG

** Stock trims YTD losses to 12.8%, but trails DLPA's ~7% loss and VIJA's 11% climb this year

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS rise 3.5% to 2,86.1 rupees

** The diagnostics firm posted a 19% rise in Q3 consol net profit to 967 mln rupees ($11.2 mln); rev from ops up 11% Y/Y

** Profit aided by strong volume growth through expansion in core markets and in newer regions of west and south

** More than 812,000 shares change hands, 3.3x its 30-day avg

** 20 analysts covering the stock on avg have a "hold" rating; median PT is 3,310 rupees - LSEG data

** Stock gained 16% in 2024

($1 = 86.5700 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru)

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Dec 19 (Reuters) - Max India Ltd MAII.NS:

• ANTARA SENIOR CARE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC COLLABORATION WITH DR. LAL PATHLABS

• PARTNERSHIP TO JOINTLY OFFER DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES TO SENIORS

Source text: ID:nBSEb848Lc

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Oct 23 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• Q2 CONSOL NET PROFIT 1.29 BILLION RUPEES; IBES EST. 1.26 BILLION RUPEES

• Q2 CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 6.60 BILLION RUPEES; IBES EST. 6.72 BILLION RUPEES

• DIVIDEND 6 RUPEES PER SHARE

• OM PRAKASH MANCHANDA WILL BE STEPPING DOWN AS MANAGING DIRECTOR

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** Shares of pathology services provider Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS close up 0.4% at 3,311 rupees

** Nomura flags relatively fewer dengue cases in Jan-Sept, particularly in Delhi NCR which accounted for almost a third of DLPA's FY24 revenue

** Number of dengue cases in Delhi in the period was less than half of last year, Nomura said, citing news channel ABP live

** DLPA Q2 earnings due on Wednesday; Nomura expects Q2 revenue to rise 10.5% Y/Y, slower than the 11.3% growth in Q1

** Historically, co's Q2 rev growth is higher than Q1, brokerage says

** Nomura rates DLPA 'buy' with Sept 2025 TP of 3,720 rupees

** Stock up ~29% YTD

(Reporting by Vijay Malkar)

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Sept 19 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• LAL PATHLABS - KENYA UNIT HAS BEEN DISSOLVED

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Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• LAL PATHLABS- VED PRAKASH GOEL DESIGNATED AS GROUP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

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Aug 7 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• Q1 CONSOL NET PROFIT 1.06 BILLION RUPEES; IBES PROFIT EST. 992.7 MILLION RUPEES

• Q1 CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 6.02 BILLION RUPEES; IBES EST. 6.03 BILLION RUPEES

• DECLARED DIVIDEND OF 6 RUPEES PER SHARE

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** Shares of Thyrocare Technologies THYO.NS gain 10% in heavy trading, set for third straight session of gain

** Diagnostics firm reported ~40% Y/Y climb in Q1 consol net profit on strong testing demand; rev from ops climbed 16% Y/Y

** Trading volume more than 8x the 30-day moving average

** Stock up 11% YTD vs bigger rival Dr. Lal PathLabs' DLPA.NS ~17% rise

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS up 6.04% to 2,489.8 rupees - its highest since early Feb.

** At least eight brokerages up TPs on stock post Friday's Q4 profit rise, including Nomura - LSEG

** Stock settled 5.2% higher in the previous session

** Nomura upgrades rating on stock to "Buy" from "Neutral" reflecting improved growth visibility, limited downside risks in valuation of stock

** Raises FY25-26 earnings estimates by 6%-8% on higher rev, gross margin and operating leverage

** Morgan Stanley keeps TP of 2,681 rupees and rating "Overweight" unchanged

** Prefers DLPA for its strong execution record, remains cautious on patient growth and tests/patients trajectory

** Analysts avg rating on stock is "Hold", their median PT on stock is 2,600 rupees

** Stock down 3.4% YTD

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru)

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BENGALURU, May 10 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS, India's biggest diagnostics firm by revenue, posted a bigger profit for the fourth straight quarter on Thursday, led by the addition of more labs and increased demand for medical tests.

The company's consolidated net profit jumped 49% year-on-year to 845 million rupees ($10.1 million) in the fourth quarter.

Its shares climbed as much as 7.8% after the results before trimming some gains to trade up about 6%. Rival Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS was up about 2% and Thyrocare Technologies THYO.NS gained about 1%.

Analysts expect Indian diagnostic firms to benefit from geographic expansions and price hikes.

"We're expanding our reach in core markets by strengthening our presence in Tier 3 and Tier 4 towns," Dr. Lal PathLabs Chief Executive Officer-designate Shankha Banerjee said.

The number of samples tested grew 8.5% during the quarter, and was up roughly 10% for the fiscal year.

The company, which operates more than 280 labs in India, said total revenue climbed by 11% to 5.45 billion rupees.

Thyrocare is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results next week.

($1 = 83.4872 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon and Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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** Shares of Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS rise as much as 7.4% to 1,933.50 rupees, highest since May 18, 2022

** Diagnostic services co says revenue grew ~15% Y/Y in Q4FY24

** Adds, EBITDA margins show consistent upward trend both Q/Q and Y/Y, driven by higher volumes, price increase

** Stock on track to gain for fifth straight session

** More than 1.6 mln shares traded as of 10:51 a.m. IST, 5.6x their 30-day moving avg; busiest day yet since Feb. 6

** Mean rating of 13 analysts is "hold"; median PT 1,670 rupees, while bigger peer Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS is "sell" - LSEG data

** METP last up 4.3%, adding to YTD gains of ~11.9%; DLPA down 8%

(Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas in Bengaluru)

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April 1 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• GOT ASSESSMENT ORDER WHEREIN DEDUCTION CLAIMED ON ACCOUNT OF ESOP EXPENSES OF 326.6 MILLION RUPEES DISALLOWED

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** Dr. Lal PathLabs' shares DLPA.NS jump 5% to 2,236 rupees

** Stock set for its steepest pct rise since early Nov

** Kotak Institutional Equities double upgrades to "add" from "sell", lifts fair value to 2,360 rupees from 1,975 rupees

** Brokerage expects improvement in pricing trends for diagnostics and views new CEO appointment as a positive

** Stock tumbled ~13% in 9 sessions since CEO left on March. 4; but has clawed back losses to ~9% since a new CEO was named on March 17

** Still, Kotak's new FV is 3.8% discount to analysts' median PT, per LSEG data

** Analysts avg rating on DLPA is "sell", while it is "hold" for peers Dr. Reddy's Labs REDY.NS and Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of diagnostic services provider Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS edge up 0.4%

** UBS analysts say co has potential to beat management's EBITDA margin guidance of 26%-27%

** Believes it would reinvest any additional margins into growth opportunities

** DLPA currently has 9 bln rupees in cash; UBS estimates co to report 33% CAGR to 28 bln rupees by FY28

** "Believe Lal Pathlabs has potential to increase EBITDA margin 250-300 basis points in same period if it maintains current rate of investment" - UBS

** Also expects steady pricing environment to aid in steady margins and revenue growth

** UBS maintains "buy" rating and target price at 2,900 rupees
** Avg recommendation on stock is a "sell;" the median TP is 2,452 rupees as per LSEG data

** DLPA is up nearly 3% so far this week, set to snap four straight weeks of losses

(Reporting by Anisha Ajith in Bengaluru)

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March 18 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• DR. LAL PATHLABS - GETS TAX DEMAND OF 26.3 MILLION RUPEES

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March 17 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• APPROVED THE RE-DESIGNATION OF SHANKHA BANERJEE BY APPOINTING HIM AS CEO WITH EFFECT FROM MAY 21, 2024.

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** Shares of Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS fall 1.7% to 2,294.1 rupees

** Co said Bharath U resigns as chief executive officer

** CEO added that he will take up external assignment post resignation

** Seventeen analysts covering the stock on avg have a "Sell" rating; median PT is 2,452.5 rupees - LSEG data

** DLPA trading below its 50-day, 100-day and 200-day simple moving averages since Feb.

** Stock down ~11% so far this quarter; set to snap three consecutive quarterly gains if trend holds

(Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru)

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Feb 1 (Reuters) - Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS:

• DR. LAL PATHLABS DEC-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 813 MILLION RUPEES

• DR. LAL PATHLABS DEC-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 5.39 BILLION RUPEES

• DR. LAL PATHLABS YEAR AGO DEC-QUARTER NET PROFIT 528 MILLION RUPEES, REVENUE 4.89 BILLION RUPEES

• DR. LAL PATHLABS LTD - DIVIDEND 12 RUPEES PER SHARE

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** Shares of Indian diagnostic firms including Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS, Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS and Thyrocare Technologies THYO.NS rise over 4%

** METP hits its peak since April 5, 2022, and THYO achieves its highest level since Dec. 22, 2022

** DLPA posts biggest intraday gain since Nov. 3

** Between 2020 and 2021, diagnostic firms in India made profits from testing for Coronavirus infection among millions of patients; since India eased pandemic curbs, profits have waned

** India reports 594 new daily cases of COVID, up about 151% from a week ago - Health Ministry data

** "During the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnostic companies emerged as major beneficiaries, benefiting from the surge in demand for COVID testing. Alongside this, there was an increase in the demand for various medical supplies, including devices, injections, oximeters, and more," says Abdulkader Puranwala, assistant vice president, ICICI Securities

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS up as much as 2.9% to 2,450 rupees

** Medical diagnostics firm posts 52.4% YoY rise in Sept-qtr consol net profit to 1.09 bln rupees ($13.10 million)

** Rev from ops up nearly 13% YoY to 6.01 bln rupees

** Over 376,000 shares change hands by 2:31 p.m. IST, 1.5x the 30-day moving avg

** Four of the 18 analysts covering the stock have "buy" or "strong buy" rating, one rates it as "hold", while 13 recommend "sell" or "strong sell"; median PT is 2,130 rupees - LSEG data

** Stock currently up nearly 1%, pushing YTD gains to about 6.2%

($1 = 83.2277 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Dr. Lal Pathlabs DLPA.NS up as much as 3.4% to 2,499 rupees, their highest since Dec. 6, 2022

** Medical diagnostics firm posts ~43% YoY rise in June-qtr consol net profit to 826 mln rupees ($10.08 mln)

** June qtr rev from ops up 7.6% YoY to 5.41 bln rupees

** Over 591,000 shares change hands by 03:29 p.m. IST, 1.6x the 30-day moving avg

** Five of the 20 analysts covering the stock have "buy" or "strong buy" rating, three have "hold", while 12 recommend "sell" or "strong sell"; median PT is 1,842.50 rupees - Refinitiv data

** As of last close, stock up ~7% so far this year

($1 = 81.9500 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of medical diagnostics firm Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS rise as much as 2.63% to 2,300 rupees

** Co plans to consistently open 14-15 centres per annum to add new customers - JM Financial

** Adds, 65% of DLPA's revenue comes from its centres in India outside Delhi-NCR, which has increased significantly over the years

** Majority of DLPA's investment made to upgrade digital infrastructure to elevate patient experience, offer customised solutions, prevent new-age cyber-attacks - JM Financial

** Brokerage believes co "remains a strong franchise with sturdy return ratios"; maintains "buy" rating with TP of 2,525 rupees

** Share price remains above 50-day, 100-day and 200-day exponential moving averages since June 27, suggesting bullish trend

** Five of 20 analysts have "buy" or "strong buy" rating, 3 have "hold" while 12 rate it at "sell" or "strong sell"; median PT is 1,842.50 rupees - Refinitiv data

(Reporting by Ashish Chandra in Bengaluru)

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** Brokerage Kotak Institutional Equities says Indian medical diagnostics firm Dr. Lal PathLabs DLPA.NS could witness further pressure on margins

** Says despite price hikes, margin pressure can arise as non-metro mix of the health test chain operator increases

** Additional pressure can be from heightened marketing expenses, tech investments - Kotak

** Given high pricing differential, Kotak says it remains guarded on any meaningful advantage to co

** DLPA's net profit fell for sixth consecutive qtr, while revenue grew a mere 1.1%

** Five analysts out of 20 rate stock "buy" or higher, 4 "hold" while 11 rate it "sell" or lower

** DLPA rose 3.4% as of 12:00 P.M. IST on Friday, vs declines of nearly 13% so far this year

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

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BENGALURU, May 11 (Reuters) - India's Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd DLPA.NS on Thursday reported a sixth consecutive fall in quarterly profit as a continued slide in income from COVID-related testing outpaced growth in its core business.

The medical diagnostics firm, India's largest by revenue, posted a consolidated net profit of 567 million rupees ($6.93 million) in the three months to March 31, down from 613 million rupees a year earlier.

Earnings margin before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation contracted to 23.6% from 24.9% a year ago.

Dr. Lal PathLabs is the first among its peers to report results and will set the tone for an intensely competitive industry that made a windfall during the pandemic but has since sharply slipped.

Shares of the company and its listed rivals Metropolis Healthcare METP.NS, Thyrocare Technologies THYO.NS and Vijaya Diagnostic Centre VIJA.NS have fallen between 45% and 68% from their all-time highs in 2021, as of their last close.

Analysts have since set their sights on companies' ability to widen their range of tests and geographic reach, noting that Dr. Lal PathLabs is best placed among its competitors to grow in the long term.

Over the period of more than a year, the company, which has a strong presence in northern and eastern India besides its New Delhi base, has sought to expand to smaller cities and other regions in the country through acquisitions.

Revenue grew a mere 1.1% to 4.91 billion rupees, with the non-COVID segment contributing to nearly 98% of the total.

Revenue from the COVID and allied segments was down to just 110 million rupees, from 660 million rupees a year before.

Shares of Dr. Lal PathLabs fell as much as 3.2% to 1,888.10 rupees after reporting results.

($1 = 81.7800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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