PACRA Maintains Entity Ratings of Saif Textile Mills Limited

Saif textile mills limited (Saif Textile), biggest textile mill of Saif group, provides different kinds of yarn which include, Melange yarn, dyed yarn, man-made yarn and raw white yarn. The company, primarily in spinning business, has also small presence in yarn dyeing business. Despite challenging textile industry dynamics, Saif Textile managed to maintain its optimal capacity while constantly expanding its asset base with the help of leveraging. Textile industry in general and spinning industry in particular continues to suffer from low international commodity prices and high cost of doing business in Pakistan. Consequently, performance volatility, featured by cotton price fluctuations, is considered high on standalone basis. Saif Textile’s management enhanced and revamped its production capacities with the help of debt, which caused the gross margins to improve, exerted pressure on its financial risk profile. Nevertheless, financial risk is weak reflected by weak coverages, and high leveraged capital structure. The company is in the process of arranging finances from banks of PKR 1bln which will be utilized to partially reprofile the existing debt. Going forward, in absence of improved cashflows, meeting financial needs is expected to remain challenging. The ratings also incorporate the experienced management team and the entity’s association with Saif Group which has demonstrated support in the past.

The ratings are dependent on managing financial obligations while sustaining business margins. Any further debt with shift from current business strategy, impacting the risk profile of the entity, may negatively affect the ratings. Going forward, Saif group's support to the entity would remain important.

About the Entity
Saif Textile Mills Limited (STML), incorporated in 1989, is engaged in manufacturing and marketing of different varieties of yarn. The company operates with three spinning units installed at Gadoon Industrial Estate KPK, having total capacity of 100,993 spindles. STML is also involved in dyeing of yarn, though at small scale. STML is majorly owned by Saif holdings (49.58%) followed by NIT (7%), State life (4%) and significant free float (39%). Saif Holdings – holding company of Saif group, has interests in Textile, Feeds, Energy, Health, Technology and Real Estate sectors.

Overall control vests with eight members BoD. There are two executive, five non-executive and one independent director on the board. Seven board members represent Saif Group including the CEO, Mr. Zaheen Ud Din. Mr. Zaheen, carries with him over two decades of experience in textile sector. He is supported by an experienced management team.