MedPlus Q1 profit falls 21% despite 22% revenue growth; shares drop 17%

MedPlus Health Services reported Q1FY27 net profit of Rs 33.2 crore as EBITDA margin narrowed 140 bps to 7.1%. The pharmacy retailer also approved Rs 155 crore in Hyderabad capex.

— Source publishedWed, 22 Jul, 2026, 09:52 IST·First seen Wed, 22 Jul, 2026, 10:34 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

MedPlus Health Services · Indian pharmacy retailer MedPlus reported Q1FY27 profit down 21.5% despite 21.8% revenue growth, as EBITDA margin contracted to 7.1%.

Key facts

  • Q1FY27 consolidated net profit fell 21.5% YoY to Rs 33.2 crore from Rs 42.3 crore
  • Revenue from operations rose 21.8% YoY to Rs 1,880 crore from Rs 1,543 crore
  • EBITDA rose 2% YoY to Rs 133 crore from Rs 131 crore
  • EBITDA margin narrowed to 7.1% from 8.5%
  • Approved Rs 155 crore capex in Hyderabad
  • Shares fell as much as 17.71% to Rs 653
  • Stock opened down 6.90% at Rs 663.70

Why this matters

MedPlus’s Hyderabad investment signals confidence in network expansion, but weakened profitability makes disciplined site selection, partnership economics and acquisition valuations especially important.

What to watch

  • Q2 and Q3 EBITDA-margin trajectory, particularly whether the 140-bps decline stabilizes or reverses.
  • Same-store sales growth versus total revenue growth; a widening gap would indicate expansion rather than underlying store productivity is driving sales.
  • Hyderabad capex deployment pace, new-store openings, pre-opening expenses and management's stated payback period.
  • Private-label and diagnostics revenue mix, which can determine whether revenue growth translates into gross-margin improvement.
  • Inventory days, operating cash flow and working-capital movement as the company funds expansion.
  • Competitive discounting from organized pharmacy peers, e-pharmacies and quick-commerce health categories.
  • Any revision to FY27 margin guidance, store-addition targets or capital-expenditure plans.
  • Phase Hyderabad capex against store-level payback thresholds and prioritize high-density clusters that can share inventory, delivery and staffing costs.
  • Accelerate private-label, chronic-care, diagnostics and wellness-category mix to offset lower-margin prescription and discount-led sales.
  • Tighten promotional spending and use targeted loyalty offers rather than broad price cuts to protect gross margin.
  • Improve inventory turns and centralized procurement to reduce working-capital needs during the expansion cycle.
  • Give investors clearer disclosure on mature-store versus new-store margins, Hyderabad capex timing, expected payback and same-store sales growth.