Cipla has rallied 5% to Rs 303 after reporting better-than-expected 17.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in net profit at Rs 309 crore for the quarter ended September due to improved realizations, reduction in input costs and higher utilisation of Indore SEZ facilities. The pharma company had posted a net profit of Rs 263 crore in the year-ago period. However, net sales grew 9.6% to Rs 1,732 crore on a y-o-y basis.

The operating profit margins (OPM) improved by 200 basis points to 24.3% from 22.3%, the company said in a filing to the stock exchanges.

The trading volumes on the counter more than doubled, with as many as 1.9 million shares already changing hands, against an average sub-500,000 shares traded daily in the past two weeks.