Brand name Reliance finds a place in the prestigious American business magazine Forbes -- be it promoted by Ambanis or a company in the United States.
Whether it is Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries or Anil Ambani of Reliance-ADAG, they have figured among the world's richest mapped by Forbes. Likewise, Reliance Steel and Aluminium, a $5-billion US firm, has been named by the same magazine among America's best managed companies.
According to its list of America's Best Managed Companies for 2007, Reliance Steel has been named at the top for the materials sector, based on factors like five-year equity return, turnover and profits.
Other than its first name, the Los Angeles-based Reliance Steel has no relation with Mukesh or Anil Ambani groups, who run a slew of companies with the same brand name.
However, the US firm is smaller than a number of India's Reliance group companies on various parameters. Its market cap is higher than just one of the seven listed Indian entities.
Reliance Steel has a market cap of about $4 billion, as against close to $100 billion of RIL.
Besides, RIL had reported annual turnover of $25.51 billion and net profit of over $2.5 billion for the year ended March 2007. Reliance Steel's last fiscal sales stood at $5.78 billion and net income at $354 million in 2006.
Mukesh Ambani group has three listed companies with Reliance name attached to it -- its flagship and India's most-valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum Ltd and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd.
The group headed by younger brother Anil, who separated in 2005, consists of four listed companies with Reliance name -- telecom firm Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, Reliance Energy and Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. It is also in the process to list another group firm Reliance Power Ltd.
Market capitalisations of three Anil Ambani group firms are around $7-40 billion, while in the elder brother's group, RPL has a market cap of close to $25 billion and RIIL is valued at about $700 million.
The two groups consists of several other unlisted firms with the Reliance name and are present across a number of sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, power, telecom, finance and infrastructure.
Interestingly, steel and aluminium are some of the few areas where none of the two Indian groups are present. Reliance Steel is present in more than 180 locations in the US, Canada, Belgium, China and South Korea, but has no presence in India.
Its shares have given a five-year total return of 36.4 per cent, which ranks the company at 78th position in the US, while its 12-month return is about 41.2 per cent, according to information compiled by Forbes.
In comparison, according to information available with Bombay Stock Exchange, the lowest one-year return among the seven Indian stocks is more than 50 per cent (Reliance Communications), while others have given return of between 100-700 per cent.
