INDHOTEL

March 3 (Reuters) - Praveg Ltd PAVE.BO:

• ANNOUNCES HOTEL MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY

• IHCL TO MANAGE PRAVEG'S BANGARAM ISLAND PROPERTY

Source text: ID:nBSE74N43D

Further company coverage: PAVE.BO

(([email protected];;))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

By Ujjaini Dutta

BENGALURU, Feb 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Indian Hotels IHTL.NS, owner of the luxury Taj brand, is emerging as a flag bearer of the South Asian country's tourism boom. The $12 billion company on Monday unveiled a fifth hotel under development in Mumbai. Overall it plans to more than double its footprint of properties to over 700 by 2030, and at least 10% of the additions will be overseas. But as domestic room tariffs hit the roof, Indians are increasingly eyeing overseas destinations.

The company shows no sign of being affected by a domestic consumption slowdown that is rippling across the economy. Revenue hit 25.9 billion rupees ($296 million) in the three months to the end of December, up 29% year-on-year, and its EBITDA margin grew 80 basis points to over 39%. Over the past 12 months, the stock outperformed the rallying Nifty 50 .NSEI by 34 percentage points and Indian Hotels is valued at 63 times its earnings for financial year 2025, roughly double the multiple for Marriot International MAR.O and Hilton Hotel HLT.N.

Rich Indians are splurging on weddings and events, and people are hungry for experiences. Coldplay’s concert in Ahmedabad in January had an audience of 134,000, and room rates for one nearby Taj property leapt as high as 120,000 rupees, roughly $1,386, for a double-occupancy two-night stay. It's not a one-off: a shortage of hotels in prime locations is pushing up prices across the board even though foreigners are visiting India in fewer numbers than before the Covid pandemic.

Overseas destinations start to look relatively attractive to domestic travellers beyond a certain expense, says Amit Kumar at HDFC Securities. India may become the world’s fourth-largest market for outbound tourism after the United States, China and Germany, up from 10th, by 2035, says Capital Economics. Popular destinations for the South Asian country's travellers include the Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Thailand.

Concerns about the sustainability of room rates within India are growing, however. Karan Khanna, an analyst at Ambit Capital, warns of a potential faster-than-expected surge in domestic supply as rivals including ITC Hotels ITCT.NS announce significant expansion plans in smaller cities. To address those worries, Indian Hotels is talking up its capital-light investment strategy. For now, it is on the move with rich India.

Follow @ujjainidutta_

CONTEXT NEWS

Indian Hotels Company on January 17 reported revenue of 25.9 billion rupees ($296 million) in the three months to the end of December, up 29% from the same period last year. Net profit for the period also rose 29% to 5.8 billion rupees.

(Editing by Una Galani and Aditya Srivastav)

((For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on DUTTA/
[email protected]))

Updates with analyst comments, shares and valuations of rivals in paragraphs 5 through 8

By Hritam Mukherjee

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Shares of ITC Hotels ITCT.NS fell in debut trade on Wednesday, following its spin-off from consumer goods firm ITC ITC.NS, valuing the luxury hotels operator at 366.2 billion rupees ($4.23 billion).

The stock fell to as low as 172 rupees, compared to a discovered price of 180 rupees determined during a pre-open trading session. It was last down 2.2% at 176 rupees.

ITC ITC.NS spun off its hotel business into a separately listed firm to focus on its core cigarettes and food business, as the unit is among the conglomerate's smallest by revenue and also capital-intensive.

Shares of the parent firm, which now owns a 40% stake in ITC Hotels, were down 0.8%.

ITC Hotels' listing performance was in line with expectations, but the stock is witnessing selling pressure as it is set to exit key indices such as Nifty 50 .NSEI, Nifty FMCG .NIFTYFMCG and BSE Sensex .BSESN, said Prashanth Tapse, senior vice president of research at Mehta Equities.

Brokerage Jefferies estimated post-listing outflows to the tune of $190 million to $200 million.

Shares of rivals EIH EIHO.NS and Indian Hotels IHTL.NS, which own the "Oberoi" and "Taj" brands respectively, were up roughly 2% each.

ITC Hotels' market valuation is second only to Indian Hotels, which is valued at 1.08 trillion rupees. EIH has a market value of 222.67 billion rupees.

ITC Hotels, with its luxury property offerings, is stepping into the equity market at a time when affluent Indians are splurging on premium products ranging from watches to cars, apartments, and even bathrooms.

It operates more than 140 properties across India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and offers premium amenities including private swimming pools, jacuzzis, and desert safaris.

India's luxury hotels market is expected to be valued at $4.83 billion by 2030 from $2.99 billion in 2025, estimates from market analytics firm Mordor Intelligence showed.

($1 = 86.5790 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

(([email protected]; X: @MukherjeeHritam;))

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• DEC-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 5.82 BILLION RUPEES

• DEC-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 25.33 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];;))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

By Ujjaini Dutta

BENGALURU, Jan 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Smoking is about to look even less attractive. Shares of India’s ITC ITC.NS, the $65 billion conglomerate backed by British American Tobacco BATS.L, have barely moved since the company announced plans in July 2023 to spin off hotels despite a rally in the emerging market's equities. Now ITC faces the prospect of higher taxes on its core cigarettes business. For boss Sanjiv Puri, the challenges of unlocking value will mount as growth in the economy slows.

His decision to list the hospitality business, which generates about 4% of the group’s revenue, makes sense. Despite the slowdown in consumption, the Indian premium tourism market is growing exponentially. ITC Hotels, whose shares are due to start trading in February, is a luxury specialist with some 140 properties from New Delhi to Colombo.

Indian Hotels IHTL.NS, part of the Tata Group and a direct competitor, trades at 58 times forward earnings. That's more than twice the multiple of ITC, which will share any success because it retains a 40% stake in the unit. In the meantime, separating from its parent will make it easier for the capital-intensive hotel chain to attract investors because many institutional funds shun tobacco stocks.

The fact ITC shares are stuck, however, reflects a threat rather than an opportunity. Last month, a group of ministers mulling a rationalisation of a goods and services tax proposed adding a fifth, higher, slab of 35% for tobacco products as well as aerated beverages, news agency PTI reported, citing an official. The current rate for cigarettes, which generate nearly half of ITC sales, is 28%.

Sin products are an obvious target for officials who want to boost government revenue: ITC's cigarette sales have barely recovered to the level they were at prior to the initial implementation of a nationwide GST in 2017. Companies expected the sheer number of tax slabs to reduce over time, not increase. Worse, Indians are lighting up again in the black market because cigarettes there aren't subject to tax. Those products were harder to come by during the pandemic but supply is easing again.

Puri, in his capacity as president of the influential Confederation of Indian Industry, is calling for lower taxes and a simpler three-tier GST structure to boost consumption. That would help restore some puff to both ITC and the economy.

Follow @ujjainidutta_

CONTEXT NEWS

Shares of ITC Hotels, a unit spun off from Indian tobacco-led conglomerate ITC, are expected to start trading in February.

In December, a group of ministers on the country’s Goods and Services Tax council proposed hiking the tax on sin goods like cigarettes, aerated beverages and tobacco products to 35%, from the current 28%, news agency PTI reported, citing an official.

(Editing by Una Galani and Aditya Srivastav)

((For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on DUTTA/
[email protected]))

** Events such as religious festival Maha Kumbh Mela and Coldplay concerts, scheduled to be held between Jan.-Feb. 2025, will drive growth for Indian hotels in Q4, Elara Capital says

** Taj Ganges owned by Indian Hotel's IHTL.NS unit Benares Hotels BNRS.BO to benefit from Kumbh Festival in Prayagraj; Juniper Hotels JUNI.NS and others to benefit from Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad - brokerage

** Says hotels sector witnessed good growth in Q3, led by high occupancy and double-digit growth in average room rate (ARR)

** Brokerage's top picks include Chalet Hotels CHAL.NS, JUNI, IHTL

** CHAL, JUNI, IHTL, and BNRS up 3.8%, 0.6%, 0.07%, and 0.6%, respectively

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS rise as much as 5.6% to a record high of 796.3 rupees

** Co said on Tuesday it will invest 50 bln rupees ($592 mln) over five years as it aims to double its hotel count and consolidated rev

** Eight analysts hike PT post FY30 outlook, median PT up 24% - data compiled by LSEG

FOCUS ON VALUE ACCRETIVE GROWTH IS ENCOURAGING

** Jefferies ("buy", hikes PT to 900 rupees) says co unfazed by slowdown suggested in other consumer segments; delivery on past guidance gives confidence

** Nirmal Bang Equities Research ("buy", hikes PT to 860 rupees) says portfolio positioning across segments, better mix of owned vs managed rooms and multiple new non-room revenue growth avenues encourages growth prospectus

** Motilal Oswal ("buy", hikes PT to 880 rupees) says strong operational performance, portfolio diversification will provide robust foundation for its 2030 goals

** Ambit Capital ("buy", hikes PT to 840 rupees) says co still provides growth opportunity over next few years, while largely maintaining near-term estimates

($1 = 84.4600 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS rise as much as 3.1% to record 361.25 rupees

** Tata Group-owned hotelier aims to double consol rev to 150 billion rupees ($1.78 billion) by 2030 with 20% return on capital employed and also double hotel count to 700

** IHTL targets part of its 'Accelerate 2030' strategy announced on its investor day

** Jefferies analysts had said they would look for commentary on drivers to sustain profit growth and margins

** Analysts tracking India's biggest hotelier by market cap rate it "buy" on avg, same as smaller competitors - LSEG data

** Stock up 73% so far this year, leading gains among major hotel stocks

($1 = 84.4075 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]; Mobile: +91 9591011727;))

** Indian Hotels IHTL.NS rises as much as 5.6% to a record high of 722 rupees

** Hospitality co posts 67% y/y rise in Q2 consol profit before one time gain and tax; rev from ops up 27%

** Sees double-digit rev growth across all brands; domestic like-for-like sales up 12%

** More than 10.3 mln shares traded, 3.6x its 30-day avg; eyes most active session since late-July

** Stock rated "buy" on avg; median PT is 700 rupees - LSEG

** IHTL up 65% YTD

(Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru)

(([email protected] ; ( +91 8078332441))

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 5.55 BILLION RUPEES

• SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 18.26 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: ID:nBSE4qdDxH

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Co Ltd IHTL.NS jump 7.6%, set for best one-day gain since early June

** Stock set to snap 6-day losing run in which it shed 5.2%

** Hotels operator's Q1 6% rev growth meets expectations

** Analysts confident IHTL can meet its full-year forecast of double-digit rev growth

** Morgan Stanley analysts expect Q2 to benefit from wedding season shift to current qtr and pent-up demand due to general elections and extreme weather

** Over 15.9 mln shares traded, 3.7x 30-day avg volume

** Analysts's avg rating in IHTL is equivalent of "buy" -- same as ITC ITC.NS and vs "hold" for Oberoi Realty OEBO.NS -- per LSEG data

** IHTL has jumped ~42% YTD, more than 2x ITC and dwarfing OEBO's 1.2% rise

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]; Mobile: +91 9591011727;))

July 19 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY JUNE-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 2.48 BILLION RUPEES

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY JUNE-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 15.50 BILLION RUPEES

Source text for Eikon: ID:nNSE91myPT

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];;))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS rise as much as 3.4% to 619.95 rupees

** Phillip Capital initiates coverage of Tata group co with "buy" rating, price target of 704 rupees

** PT is at 17.4% premium to stock's last close and at 6.2% premium to record high hit on June 26

** Phillip's PT second-highest on Street after HSBC's PT of 710 rupees - LSEG data

** Currently, Indian hotel industry is in middle of an up-cycle with occupancy rate and average room rate trending above pre-COVID highs and mimicking up-cycle of FY04-08 - Phillip

** Brokerage says with portfolio of 310 hotels, including brands like Taj, IHTL is well-positioned to surf the wave of high demand and occupancy

** Phillip sees IHTL's consolidated revenue CAGR of 13.1% over FY24-27 and expect management to add about 9,500 rooms over FY25-27

(Reporting by Ashish Chandra in Bengaluru)

(([email protected] (+91 7982114624))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS up 3.5% to 609.9 rupees, their highest since late April

** The hospitality co said it expects to log double-digit percentage consolidated revenue growth in FY25

** Analysts' avg rating on stock is "Buy", median PT is 615 rupees - LSEG data

** Over 7 mln shares traded, 1.8x the 30-day avg

** Including session's gains, stock up 39% YTD vs 19% gains in the Nifty mid-cap index .NIFMDCP100

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]; +918447554364;))

Adds voting details, shares at close, background throughout

BENGALURU, June 6 (Reuters) - ITC ITC.NS shareholders approved the Indian consumer goods maker's plan to carve-out its hotels business on Thursday, in line with the recommendation of key proxy advisors.

About 99.6% of the tobacco-to-soap firm's minority shareholders voted in favour of the move, exceeding the regulatory requirement of a three-fourth majority.

The company's shares closed 1.2% higher after the outcome of the vote. They were up 1% earlier in the session.

As per media reports, proxy advisory firms Stakeholders Empowerment Services (SES) and InGovern Research Services last month asked shareholders to support the demerger proposal, while Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS) opposed the move.

"ITC must provide greater clarity with respect to the size of the synergies it expects to get by maintaining the 40% equity in the hotels business," IiAS said a voting advisory note, referring to the stake that the company will hold in ITC Hotels, the newly formed entity. ITC shareholders will own the remaining stake.

The company, known for its Goldflake brand of cigarettes, announced the demerger plan in July last year and later said that the new entity would be tentatively listed in 15 months.

ITC Hotels will compete as an independent entity with rivals such as Tata-owned Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS, which operates Taj Hotels, and EIH Associated Hotels EIHA.NS, which manages the Oberoi brand of hotels.

The hotels business contributed 4% to ITC's fiscal year 2024 revenue, while its mainstay consumer staples business made up 71% of the topline.

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

(([email protected]; X: @MukherjeeHritam;))

April 24 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LTD - DIVIDEND 1.75 RUPEES PER SHARE

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE7K6LLV

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

** Investec expects all Indian hotel firms in its coverage to post upbeat Q4 results "supported by the wedding season, increased leisure demand"

** Expect Lemon Tree Hotels LEMO.NS to deliver highest Y/Y rev growth in Q4 at 28.4% vs peers Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS and Chalet Hotels CHAL.NS at 21.2% and 22.2%, respectively

** Margins seen stable for IHTL, CHAL on strong base, flags pressure for LEMO due to co's new launches, ongoing updates

** Investec downgrades CHAL to "hold" after stock rises 18% in one month, retains "buy" on LEMO, "hold" on IHTL

** Investec raises TP for all three firms, all of which are rated "buy" on an average, per LSEG data

** In late trade, CHAL, LEMO up 1.1% and 1.6% while IHTL largely flat

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

(([email protected];))

March 26 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LTD - INFUSED US$ 6.5 MILLION AS EQUITY IN ITS WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY IN NETHERLANDS

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LTD - INVESTMENT AMOUNT WILL BE USED BY IHOCO BV TO FURTHER MAKE INVESTMENT IN ITS UNIT

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE8b2Xfl

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];;))

** Shares of Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS rise 1.4% to a record closing high of 556.25 rupees, paring back earlier gains of 2.9%

** Reuters could not immediately verify a reason for the stock move

** IHTL logged fourth straight session of gain

** Fourteen analysts hiked PT on 'buy'-rated stock after it reported an 18% rise in Q3 profit on Feb. 1 - LSEG

** The median PT is 531 rupees vs 450 rupees a month earlier - LSEG

** Stock set for best month since May 2023, if gains hold

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

** Brokerage Emkay Research forecasts strong Q4 for Indian hotel operators as demand momentum strengthens average room rate (ARR)

** ARR expected to pick up in Q4 as business travel resumes post-holiday period, weddings and conferences to support demand - Emkay

** Indian cricket tournament in end-March to aid demand for Indian Hotels Co IHTL.NS, pickup in business travel to support Chalet Hotels CHAL.NS - note

** Brokerage expects margin improvement for IHTL, CHAL and Lemon Tree Hotels LEMO.NS; estimates double-digit revenue growth over FY24-26

** Adds, IHTL rev to rise from new businesses, higher-margin commercial properties to drive rev growth for CHAL

** Emkay rates all three cos "add", prefers CHAL; avg rating on all three cos equivalent to "buy", per LSEG data

** LEMO and IHTL up 0.4% and 1% respectively, while CHAL down 1.2%

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

(([email protected];))

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• DEC-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 4.52 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 3.83 BILLION RUPEES YEAR AGO

• DEC-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 19.64 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 16.86 BILLION RUPEES YEAR AGO

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INVESTED 550 MILLION RUPEES IN EQUITY SHARES OF GENNESS HOSPITALITY

• INVESTED 350 MILLION RUPEES IN EQUITY SHARES OF QURIO HOSPITALITY

• BOTH INVESTMENTS ARE BY WAY OF SUBSCRIPTION TO RIGHTS ISSUES

• NO CHANGE IN SHAREHOLDING PERCENTAGE OF CO IN GENNESS AND QURIO

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE6YytY1

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

** Brokerage Nuvama expects rate momentum for Indian hotel firms to remain robust after revenue growth largely aided Q2 margins

** Adds premium-segment focused cos like Indian Hotels Company IHTL.NS, EIH EIHO.NS and Chalet Hotels CHAL.NS outperforming the sector

** CHAL, IHTL benefitted from G20 in Delhi - Nuvama analysts

** Brokerage says Lemon Tree Hotels LEMO.NS "top pick" on start of debt pay-down phase, likely traction

** Nuvama sees IHTL's India performance to sustain in Q3, raises co's PT to 422 rupees from 417 rupees and retains "hold"

** Shares of IHTL, CHAL and EIHO down between 0.1%-1.3% while LEMO up 0.1% on Tuesday

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

(([email protected];))

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL NET PROFIT 1.67 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 1.22 BILLION RUPEES

• SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 14.33 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 12.33 BILLION RUPEES

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE9wlRJL

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• TO CONSIDER ISSUE OF SHARES VIA PREFERENTIAL ALLOTMENT, TO 2 ENTITIES HOLDING MINORITY STAKE IN UNIT OF CO

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE85W20M

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

Sept 25 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LTD - INFUSED $ 11.5 MILLION AS EQUITY IN UNIT IHOCO IN NETHERLANDS

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE1GKrnm

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• AGREEMENT SIGNED TODAY FOR TAJ HOTEL IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY UNDER AN OPERATING LEASE ARRANGEMENT

Source text for Eikon: ID:nNSE5ZX38H

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];;))

July 27 (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd IHTL.NS:

• INDIAN HOTELS CO Q1 CONSOL NET PROFIT 2.22 BILLION RUPEES; REFINITIV IBES EST. 2.3 BILLION RUPEES

• INDIAN HOTELS CO Q1 CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 14.66 BILLION RUPEES

• INDIAN HOTELS CO Q1 YEAR AGO NET PROFIT 1.7 BILLION RUPEES, REVENUE 12.66 BILLION RUPEES

Further company coverage: IHTL.NS

(([email protected];))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

By Shritama Bose

MUMBAI, July 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Another Indian conglomerate is embarking on a tidy up. The $70 billion ITC ITC.NS, a cigarettes-to-food behemoth, will spin off its hotels business and retain a 40% stake in the separated company. It’s a less-than-clean break from the firm 29% owned by British American Tobacco BATS.L but it could prove a smart move.

Shareholders were disappointed with the decision by the 113-year-old company, selling the shares down 6% since Monday’s announcement. But these have gained 40% this year, partly on expectations of a rejig. True, having a tobacconist as an enduring big owner may limit the pool of “appropriate investors” ITC can attract to the carved-out unit. But the arrangement ought to unlock value in the longer term.

Without ITC’s backing the new entity would be at a disadvantage to its top rival Indian Hotels IHTL.NS, a $7 billion company backed by the storied Tata group and owner of the luxurious Taj brand with hotels stretching from the Maldives to the United States. The business accounting for just 4% of ITC’s topline might struggle on its own to convince banks to lend it money at competitive rates, for example. Fundraising will be crucial for a business that consumed nearly a quarter of ITC’s capital expenditure over the 10 years to March 2020 while mostly delivering a return on capital employed under 5%, well below its cost capital, per Jefferies.

As the hotels business comprising over 120 properties aims to pivot to an asset-light model, comparisons with Indian Hotels, which runs an even split between owned and managed properties, will intensify. The company could be worth $3 billion if it was valued on the 30 times trailing EBITDA of its rival. That’s roughly one third more than the value Jefferies’ analysts ascribe to it in sum-of-the-parts valuation, and over one third more than the multiple its parent conglomerate commands in the market.

The timing looks spot on too. Well-heeled Indians are holidaying again in force; hotel demand in key markets grew 11% in the three years to March, more than double the pace of room supply. Elsewhere, ITC is in good company. Tycoons from Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries RELI.NS to the Tata group are spinning off businesses spanning everything from finance to engineering IT services for the first time in years as Indian markets remain buoyant. It makes sense to join the club.

Follow @ShritamaBose on Twitter

CONTEXT NEWS

Tobacco giant ITC on July 24 said its board approved a plan to spin off its hotels business. The Indian conglomerate will continue to hold a 40% stake in the new entity with the rest held by the Mumbai-listed company’s existing shareholders.

(Editing by Una Galani and Aditya Munjuluru)

((For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on BOSE/
SIGN UP FOR BREAKINGVIEWS EMAIL ALERTS https://bit.ly/BVsubscribe |[email protected]; Reuters Messaging: shritama.bose.[email protected]))

Adds details on ITC business, spin off plans in paragraphs 6-10; updates stock move

BENGALURU, July 25 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian conglomerate ITC ITC.NS shares fell as much as 3.3% on Tuesday, extending a slide from the previous session, as investors baulked at the company's plans to retain a 40% stake in its hotels business after spinning it off.

ITC said on Monday it would spin off the hotel business, separating it from its cigarettes and food units, but retain a 40% stake in the entity, with ITC shareholders holding the rest.

The company's stock ended nearly 4% lower on Monday in its biggest one day-drop since Sept. 26, 2022, and the move a volte-face from earlier this month when the stock hit record highs on reports of a likely spinoff.

"We believe some investors may have preferred a vertical split (100% direct)," Jefferies analysts said in a note, pointing to the cash-guzzling nature of the hotel business.

The business has contributed less than 5% to ITC's revenue and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) over the last decade but for over 20% of capital expenditure, Jefferies said.

ITC has over 120 hotels and 11,600 keys across more than 70 locations and competes with Tata Group's Indian Hotels Co IHTL.NS, which owns properties including the Taj and Marriott.

Other analysts said they would look for more details on the rationale for the new corporate structure at a management call scheduled for Thursday. The final approval for the spin-off is scheduled to be voted on at a board meeting in mid-August.

"We seek clarity on the rationale behind retaining a 40% stake, the royalty structure, any tax implications and the key criteria for gaining a strategic investor/partner in the business," said Emkay Research.

Nomura analysts said the "not a clean de-merger" could restrict value unlocking.

ITC's largest revenue contributor is its consumer goods business, led by cigarettes. The Goldflake brand cigarette maker will report its quarterly results next week.

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

(([email protected];))