Latest news with #Sampath
Mint
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Kaynes Technology shares surge 4% as QIP launch aims to raise ₹1,600 crore
Shares of Kaynes Technology rose 4 percent in intra-day trading on Friday, June 20, following the launch of its Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) issue to raise up to ₹ 1,600 crore. The semiconductor and electronics systems design and manufacturing company opened its QIP on Thursday, setting a floor price of ₹ 5,625.75 per share, a marginal 0.3 percent premium over Thursday's closing price. The fundraising is being managed by Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors, Nomura, and Axis Capital. Kaynes Technology India has projected revenue of ₹ 4,525 crore for FY26, with EBITDA margins expected to improve by 50 basis points to reach 15.6 percent. The company's confidence is backed by a strong order book and expansion into new business areas. Jairam Sampath, Whole-Time Director and CFO, underlined the export growth opportunity. 'We will have some US major company orders getting executed. We will start doing additionally about ₹ 200–300 crore of exports. These are US- and Europe-based companies in both aerospace and automotive segments,' Sampath said. Adding to its global footprint, Kaynes' subsidiary, Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd, recently signed an asset purchase agreement with Japan's Fujitsu General Electronics Ltd. The deal, valued at 1.59 billion Japanese yen, includes the acquisition of production lines for power modules, further solidifying the company's expansion into semiconductor manufacturing. Despite Kaynes' bullish outlook, brokerage CLSA issued a cautionary note last month. While it raised its price target to ₹ 6,230 from ₹ 5,400, it downgraded the stock to 'Hold' from 'Outperform'. The rating adjustment followed the company's strong Q4 results, marked by improved margins, though the growth figures came in slightly below CLSA's expectations. CLSA pointed to increased working capital requirements as a drag on operating cash flow (OCF), though it anticipates this issue will normalise in the coming quarters. The brokerage also noted Kaynes' strategic focus on emerging segments such as Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) services and bare board manufacturing, which are expected to contribute meaningfully to revenues from the end of FY26. While CLSA acknowledged the timely execution of these projects could act as catalysts for stock performance, it flagged that the recent sharp rise in stock price warranted some caution, hence the downgrade. On Friday, Kaynes Technology's stock climbed as much as 3.9 percent to ₹ 5,825.50. The stock remains over 25 percent below its 52-week high of ₹ 7,824.95, touched in January 2025, and well above its 52-week low of ₹ 3,729.70, seen in July 2024. Over the last one year, the stock has advanced more than 45 percent. However, it has lost 5 percent in June so far, following three consecutive months of gains—up 4 percent in May, 21 percent in April, and 14.5 percent in March. Before that, it saw a 13.5 percent decline in February and a steep 35 percent correction in January.
Mint
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Kaynes Technology shares surge 4% as QIP launch aims to raise ₹1,600 crore
Shares of Kaynes Technology rose 4 percent in intra-day trading on Friday, June 20, following the launch of its Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) issue to raise up to ₹ 1,600 crore. The semiconductor and electronics systems design and manufacturing company opened its QIP on Thursday, setting a floor price of ₹ 5,625.75 per share, a marginal 0.3 percent premium over Thursday's closing price. The fundraising is being managed by Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors, Nomura, and Axis Capital. Kaynes Technology India has projected revenue of ₹ 4,525 crore for FY26, with EBITDA margins expected to improve by 50 basis points to reach 15.6 percent. The company's confidence is backed by a strong order book and expansion into new business areas. Jairam Sampath, Whole-Time Director and CFO, underlined the export growth opportunity. 'We will have some US major company orders getting executed. We will start doing additionally about ₹ 200–300 crore of exports. These are US- and Europe-based companies in both aerospace and automotive segments,' Sampath said. Adding to its global footprint, Kaynes' subsidiary, Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd, recently signed an asset purchase agreement with Japan's Fujitsu General Electronics Ltd. The deal, valued at 1.59 billion Japanese yen, includes the acquisition of production lines for power modules, further solidifying the company's expansion into semiconductor manufacturing. Despite Kaynes' bullish outlook, brokerage CLSA issued a cautionary note last month. While it raised its price target to ₹ 6,230 from ₹ 5,400, it downgraded the stock to 'Hold' from 'Outperform'. The rating adjustment followed the company's strong Q4 results, marked by improved margins, though the growth figures came in slightly below CLSA's expectations. CLSA pointed to increased working capital requirements as a drag on operating cash flow (OCF), though it anticipates this issue will normalise in the coming quarters. The brokerage also noted Kaynes' strategic focus on emerging segments such as Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) services and bare board manufacturing, which are expected to contribute meaningfully to revenues from the end of FY26. While CLSA acknowledged the timely execution of these projects could act as catalysts for stock performance, it flagged that the recent sharp rise in stock price warranted some caution, hence the downgrade. On Friday, Kaynes Technology's stock climbed as much as 3.9 percent to ₹ 5,825.50. The stock remains over 25 percent below its 52-week high of ₹ 7,824.95, touched in January 2025, and well above its 52-week low of ₹ 3,729.70, seen in July 2024. Over the last one year, the stock has advanced more than 45 percent. However, it has lost 5 percent in June so far, following three consecutive months of gains—up 4 percent in May, 21 percent in April, and 14.5 percent in March. Before that, it saw a 13.5 percent decline in February and a steep 35 percent correction in January. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Verizon's Q1 Earnings Call
Verizon's first quarter results met Wall Street's revenue expectations, with adjusted earnings per share exceeding consensus estimates. Management attributed this performance to the success of recent pricing actions, ongoing broadband growth, and disciplined cost control across the business. CEO Hans Vestberg highlighted the company's portfolio of targeted customer offerings, including myPlan and myHome, and noted positive momentum in gross additions toward the end of the quarter. The prepaid segment, in particular, achieved its best results since the TracFone acquisition, driven by revamped value propositions and expanded distribution. While higher churn was acknowledged—primarily among cohorts impacted by recent price increases—management described this as transitory and linked to specific pricing adjustments made earlier in the year. Is now the time to buy VZ? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $33.49 billion vs analyst estimates of $33.33 billion (1.5% year-on-year growth, in line) Adjusted EPS: $1.19 vs analyst estimates of $1.15 (3.6% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $12.56 billion vs analyst estimates of $12.34 billion (37.5% margin, 1.7% beat) Operating Margin: 23.8%, up from 22.8% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $176.5 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. John Hodulik (UBS) asked about the impact of tariffs on equipment and handsets. CEO Hans Vestberg explained that tariff exposure is limited on capital spending, and any significant handset tariff increases would likely be passed to consumers rather than absorbed by Verizon. Ben Swinburne (Morgan Stanley) questioned whether the improvement in gross additions was due to specific promotions or market share gains. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Consumer Group CEO, attributed the momentum to the Verizon Value Guarantee offer, noting double-digit growth in April gross adds. Jim Schneider (Goldman Sachs) inquired about changes in consumer behavior and the sustainability of business margins. Sampath reported continued demand for premium plans, while CFO Tony Skiadas highlighted structural cost improvements and stable payment trends. Michael Rollins (Citi) asked about postpaid phone industry growth and the impact of immigration policy. Sampath stated that Verizon is performing well even as much of market growth is driven by prepaid-to-postpaid migration, a segment where Verizon participates primarily through partners. Peter Supino (Wolfe Research) asked how the company's multi-year fixed wireless access expansion could pressure capital expenditures. Vestberg responded that the rollout is incorporated into existing plans and should not create additional pressure through 2028. Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) adoption and retention trends following the rollout of the three-year price lock and free phone guarantee; (2) progress on the integration and broadband expansion linked to the pending Frontier acquisition; and (3) continued improvements in prepaid and converged customer segments. Execution on operational efficiency and network investments will also play a critical role in shaping future performance. Verizon currently trades at $41.94, down from $42.93 just before the earnings. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Historian Sampath, technologist Chauhan build AI tool for faster book translations
Representative Image BENGALURU: Bengaluru-based Naav AI, an artificial intelligence startup co-founded by historian Vikram Sampath and technologist Sandeep Singh Chauhan, has spent the past few months in stealth. But the problem they're chasing is hiding in plain sight: India has too much English and too little access. 'A book like Savarkar's took nearly two years to appear in Marathi,' Sampath, whose experience with delayed translations across languages like Hindi, Marathi, and Kannada directly shaped Naav's mission. "Only 5-6% of India reads in English. Yet English dominates everything, books, media, even AI training data." Naav's first product, TransLit, targets this imbalance. It blends multiple large language models (LLMs) and a proprietary workflow to rapidly translate long-form text across six Indian languages – Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. An average 300-page book, Sampath claims, can now be translated to first draft in under an hour. Human editors then step in through a custom dashboard, refining output line-by-line and feeding their changes back into the engine. Chauhan, a former senior tech executive who led digital transformation at the Technicolor Group, said Naav isn't trying to build a foundational LLM. Instead, the team is building agentic workflows that orchestrate multiple public and private models depending on language and context. "We've seen models like Claude work well for Hindi. But for southern languages, accuracy drops to around 50%. That's where our orchestration and feedback loops come in," he said. The system currently achieves around 60-65% base accuracy, with ambitions to push toward 80%. The founders are quick to clarify that Naav is not about replacing human translators. "This is not a zero-touch translation," said Sampath. "The goal is speed and scale, not displacement." Naav AI has raised early backing from Bhavish Aggarwal and Silicon Valley investor Asha Jadeja Motwani. Its initial client is publishing house BlueOne Ink, which has committed a pipeline of 30 books. Of these, 18 are already in production. Beyond text, Naav is eyeing audio. Its second product, ZuNaav FM, is being built to generate immersive, multilingual audiobooks and thematic content using voice synthesis and background engineering. "Imagine listening to Tipu Sultan's biography narrated in my voice, with war scenes playing in the background," Sampath said. The startup's next step is scale. For now, Naav runs a service model with in-house and contract language experts. Eventually, the plan is to offer it as a software-as-a-service platform to publishers and enterprises. "We're not just translating text," Chauhan said. "We're translating access." Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I'm missing out working with the new generation as many go by my on-screen image: Sampath
The actor tells us that many young filmmakers tell him that Aaranya Kaandam, is what made them want to be in films. Acting is where my passion, interest, and happiness lie,' shares actor Sampath as he sits down to chat with us about his defining films and what's next for him. The actor states that he keeps a low profile because he is media shy. 'I think my work should speak for itself. Marketing yourself is important, but you should be responsible about what you say and do as an actor,' he adds. Excerpts: 'IRRFAN KHAN WANTED TO REMAKE AARANYA KAANDAM IN HINDI AND PLAY MY ROLE' The actor tells us that many young filmmakers tell him that Aaranya Kaandam, is what made them want to be in films. He reveals, 'For the aspiring filmmakers in their early 30s, Aaranya Kaandam is a bible. Fahadh Faasil once told me, 'When my films weren't doing well, I went back to America. But then, I watched Aaranya Kaandam and thought there's still hope and came back'. I remember Sriram Raghavan called me after watching the film, and we spoke for 15-20 minutes about its nuances. Even Irrfan Khan wanted to remake it in Hindi and play my role.' 'IT COMFORTS ME TO KNOW THAT I'M IN A POSITION TO SAY NO TO PROJECTS' Sampath informs us that he is quite content with the films he is offered and adds, 'I'm happy that I've reached a stage where I don't want to do everything that comes my way. I'm happy when I sit back and tell myself, 'I said no to four or five projects this month.' It comforts me to know that I'm in a position to say no to projects and that I'm not desperate. Today, when I listen to a script, I know whether it makes sense for me.' 'I'VE BEEN ASKED IF IT WAS EASY TO TURN DOWN RAEES AS IT WAS AN SRK FILM' Even though Sampath isn't against the idea of venturing into Bollywood, he says he is waiting for the right script to come his way. 'I speak Hindi well because I was born in the North. I'm clear that my first Hindi film should leave a mark. I don't want to do something just because it's in Hindi, and the calls I get from there aren't for significant roles. When I turned down Raees , I was asked if it was easy to do that as it was a Shah Rukh Khan film. I replied, 'When I commit to a film, it should make a difference to me as an actor',' he shares. 'I ASKED JASON SANJAY IF HE IS BEING PRESSURED TO BECOME AN ACTOR BECAUSE OF WHOSE SON HE IS' Up next, he will be seen in Vijay 's son Jason Sanjay's directorial debut, Mysskin's Train and Phoenix , starring Vijay Sethupathi's son Surya. 'Sanjay and I had five sittings before I said OK to the film. He always came five minutes before the meetings started, and he was clear about what his story was. What we are shooting has not deviated from the script even by one per cent. I asked him if he is being pressured to become an actor because he is a popular star's son. But he is very clear that he wants to be a director. Mysskin and I have been wanting to work together for a long time. I wouldn't say I'm playing a massive role in Train , but it's important.' The actor is also part of films with Vishwak Sen ( Funky ) and Sharwanand in Telugu, and Jeethu Joseph's Malayalam film Mirage . 'WHAT I DO ON SCREEN IS FOR A LIVING, BUT THAT'S NOT ME' Sampath tells us that going by his onscreen antagonist characters, people develop a preconceived notion of how he is. He states, 'When my writing partner and I pitched a script in Telugu, those who heard it said they never expected such a script from me. I have a certain image due to the negative roles I play, but the story I wrote didn't have a single fight. What I do on screen is for a living, but that's not me. People I've worked with have said, 'We didn't know you were easy to work with. ' The problem is that many go by my on-screen image, but that is not my reality. Maybe that is a reason I might be missing out working with the younger generation because they must be thinking, 'How would it be to work 'Raghuvaran told me to never feel bad about taking prompting' Sampath shares the advice that he received from the late Raghuvaran. 'When I did Bheemaa (2008) with him, I saw how beautifully he would work around prompting. He told me to never feel bad about taking prompting. He said, 'After hearing the lines and before delivering it, there will be a splitsecond gap, and if you can keep your expressions right in that split second, the makers can't chop it off.' I have not gotten used to it,' he says. 'Credit for the success of my gay character in Goa should also go to Pa Ranjith' Sampath considers Daniel, the gay character in Venkat Prabhu's Goa , to be the toughest he has done so far. 'Many people asked me why I was doing Goa . But as an actor, I've never tried to set an image for myself. I thought it was a challenging role, and jumped into it. It was tough dubbing for it. Pa Ranjith, who was Venkat Prabhu's assistant at the time, was also in the studio while I was dubbing. He would tell me to cut the bass in my voice, and it took me a few hours to crack that. He told me the output would come out good if I did that, so I guess the credit should also go to Ranjith.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
