Industrial Goods/Services
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30th October 2025, 12:31 AM

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Ashish Kacholia, a highly respected investor known as the "Big Whale of the market," has expanded his portfolio by acquiring stakes in two new companies: Shree Refrigerations Ltd and Vikran Engineering Limited. The total investment in these two stocks amounts to Rs 72 crore. Kacholia currently holds 48 stocks across various sectors, valued at Rs 2,861 crore.
Shree Refrigerations Ltd, incorporated in 2006, is a defence-focused manufacturer specializing in advanced refrigeration and HVAC systems. It manufactures chillers and air conditioning appliances, including marine chillers, with approvals from the Indian Navy. Ashish Kacholia acquired a 3.4% stake worth Rs 32 crore. The company has shown significant financial improvement, with sales growing at a 50% compounded rate over five years and a 60% compounded profit growth in the last three years. EBITDA turned positive, and net profits shifted from losses to profits. The share price saw a nearly 49% jump since its listing in August 2025. However, its current PE ratio of 67x is considerably higher than the industry median of 36x. Management is cautiously optimistic about reinforcing market leadership.
Vikran Engineering Limited, incorporated in 2008, is an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) company focused on infrastructure, power transmission, EHV substations, and water infrastructure projects. Kacholia bought a 1.5% stake worth Rs 40.5 crore. Another investor, Mukul Agarwal, also acquired a 1.2% stake. The company has achieved a 16% compounded sales growth over five years and an 18% compounded net profit growth over the same period. Crucially, net profits grew at a compounded rate of 95% in the last three years. The company has strong revenue visibility with orders worth Rs 5,120.21 crore. Its share price has seen a modest increase since its early September 2025 listing. The stock trades at a PE of 34x, against an industry median of 22x.
Impact: Ashish Kacholia's investment in these relatively smaller, recently listed companies is expected to draw significant investor attention. His past success in identifying growth stocks suggests these companies might have strong future potential. This news could lead to increased interest and potential price movements in Shree Refrigerations Ltd and Vikran Engineering Limited, influencing investor sentiment towards similar stocks in the industrial, defence, and EPC sectors. Impact Rating: 7/10
Difficult Terms: Super investor: An investor who consistently achieves market-beating returns over the long term, often by identifying undervalued or high-growth potential companies. Portfolio: The collection of all financial investments (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) owned by an individual or institution. Hospitality: The industry related to hotels, restaurants, and other services for guests. Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Manufacturing: The process of making goods from raw materials, often on a large scale using machinery. Compounded profit growth: The annual growth rate of profit over a specified period, assuming profits are reinvested each year. Returns on capital employed (ROCE): A profitability ratio that measures how efficiently a company uses its capital to generate profits. Defence-focused manufacturer: A company that produces goods or services specifically for the military and defense sector. Refrigeration & HVAC: Refrigeration refers to cooling systems, while HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems, crucial for climate control in buildings. Market cap: The total market value of a company's outstanding shares of stock, calculated by multiplying the share price by the total number of shares. Chillers: Machines that produce cold water or a coolant used to cool air or equipment. Marine chillers: Chillers specifically designed for use on ships or naval vessels. Directorate of Electrical Engineering: A division within the Indian Navy responsible for electrical systems and equipment. Directorate of Quality Assurance – Warship Projects: A department ensuring the quality and standards of products and services related to naval warships. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization): A measure of a company's operating performance, excluding financing and accounting decisions. It shows the profitability of a company's core operations. Net profits: The profit remaining after all expenses, including taxes and interest, have been deducted from revenue. PE (Price-to-Earnings) ratio: A valuation ratio that compares a company's current share price to its earnings per share. It indicates how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings. Industry median: The middle value in a set of data points for a specific industry, used as a benchmark. EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction): A type of contract common in construction and infrastructure projects, where a contractor provides all services from design to completion. EHV substations: Extra High Voltage substations used in power grids to step up or step down voltage levels. CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate): The mean annual growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time longer than one year. Revenue visibility: The predictability of a company's future revenue, often based on existing contracts and market conditions.