Crest Ventures profit halves as auditors flag ₹155 cr in deposits

Crest Ventures closed FY26 with a material contraction in profitability. Standalone profit after tax plummeted nearly 50% to ₹39.5 crore, while consolidated figures fell to ₹47.9 crore from ₹90.2 crore a year earlier. Despite the weaker performance, the board maintained the final dividend at ₹1 per share. The results arrive with a familiar auditor warning: an emphasis of matter concerning ₹155.3 crore in unsecured deposits. Management maintains that the capital is fully recoverable, yet the repetition of this flag suggests the asset remains uncomfortably trapped. The next test for the company is showing it can preserve its cash position while earnings undergo this correction. With the deposit issue remaining a fixture of the audit report, investors must decide how much of the profit drop is cyclical and how much is tied to this locked capital.