Navana Pharma to Utilize IPO Funds for Building Generic Production Unit

On May 20, 2025, Bangladesh’s stock market rebounded from a five-year low as bargain hunters capitalized on undervalued shares. The DSEX rose 13 points (0.28%) to 4,789 in the first hour of trading. Blue-chip and Shariah indices also posted gains.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed a $58 million long-term loan to Renata PLC, a prominent pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, to ease its working capital constraints amid US dollar liquidity challenges. The funding aims to stabilize Renata’s supply chain by enabling secure access to imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), vital for uninterrupted medicine production.

In Q3 of FY 2024–25, ACI Limited reported a consolidated loss of Tk 13.69 crore, a sharp decline from a Tk 1.65 crore profit in the same period last year, despite a 17% year-on-year revenue growth to Tk 3,573.50 crore.

In Q3 of FY 2024–25, Renata PLC’s profit fell 20% year-on-year to Tk 58 crore, despite a 16% rise in sales to Tk 1,070 crore, driven by strong domestic demand. However, profits declined due to a 100% surge in finance costs, reaching Tk 45 crore from Tk 23 crore, amid rising interest rates.

In Q3 of FY2024-25, Square Pharmaceuticals reported an 18% year-on-year profit increase, reaching Tk 605 crore, while revenue rose 22% to Tk 2,012 crore. Its EPS climbed to Tk 6.83 from Tk 5.55, and for the July–March period, EPS reached Tk 21.15, up from Tk 18.24.

Over the past seven years, 56 companies raised Tk5,178 crore through IPOs in Bangladesh, but 24 of them—collectively raising over Tk2,000 crore—have been downgraded to the Z and B categories due to poor financial performance.