Esab India
Cluster: Vulture's Pick
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs575
Current market price: Rs360
Impressive numbers
Result highlight
- Esab India's Q3CY2006 results are good and in line with our expectations. In the quarter the company achieved the much-needed top line growth aided by both its businesses, ie equipment and consumables.
- The top line for the quarter grew by a handsome 26% year on year (yoy) to Rs81 crore, driven by a 24.3% growth in the consumable segment and a 30.7% growth in the equipment segment.
- The operating profit for the quarter grew by a decent 24% to Rs20.33 crore, driven by a 29.5% growth in the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of the consumable segment.
- The overall operating profit margin (OPM) declined by 40 basis points primarily because of a 420-basis-point decline in the EBIT margin of the equipment division. The division incurred significant overheads in expanding its capacity during the quarter. The new unit has just started operations and gradually as the revenues of the division begin to move up as a result of the additional capacity, the margins would improve again.
- However the EBIT margin of the consumable division improved by 120 basis points and stood at 30.1%, the highest in the last 10-12 quarters.
- The other income for the quarter grew by 200% to Rs1.23 crore primarily because of the commission earned from its parent Esab AB, Sweden, on an ISRO order secured earlier this year.
- With the depreciation charge remaining flat yoy (an increase of 14% sequentially because of the commissioning of the new equipment plant), the net profit for the quarter grew by an impressive 26.7%.
Selan Exploration Technology
Cluster: Ugly Duckling
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs94
Current market price: Rs73.5
Growth driven by higher realisations
Result highlight
- Selan Exploration Technology (Selan) reported a 30.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in its net revenues to Rs6.3 crore during the second quarter ended September 2006. The revenue growth was driven by the cumulative impact of the incremental volumes from the commercialisation of two new wells in the first half (one in June 2006 and the second well in September 2006) and relatively higher realisations.
- The operating profit margin (OPM) at 65.8% was higher than 65.3% reported in Q2FY2006. This is despite the higher provisioning for the development of hydrocarbon properties (Rs0.94 crore as compared with Rs0.35 crore in Q2FY2006) during the quarter. The operating profit grew 31.6% to Rs4.1 crore.
- The earnings of Rs2.7 crore grew by 47.5% year on year (yoy) but were slightly below our estimates due to the higher provisioning for the development of hydrocarbon reserves in Q2FY2007.
- On a sequential basis, the revenues grew by 3.8% and the earnings were largely flat (a growth of 0.8%). The decline in the OPM on a sequential basis was largely due to the higher provisioning for the development of hydrocarbon reserves.
- In terms of the outlook, the revenue growth is likely to be driven largely by the growth in volumes. The production volume would be boosted by the full impact of the incremental volumes from the two new wells already commercialised in the first half of FY2007. Moreover, the planned commercialisation of two more wells in the second half of the fiscal would further aid the overall growth in revenues. On the other hand, the lower realisation is likely to limit the growth in the third quarter.
- At the current price the stock trades at 13x FY2007E and 6x FY2008E earnings. In terms of the enterprise value (EV) by proven and probable (2P) barrel of oil & oil equivalents (boe) reserves, Selan trades at an attractive valuation of $0.9 per boe (as compared to the global benchmark of around $8 per boe). We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock with the price target of Rs94.
Wockhardt
Cluster: Ugly Duckling
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs552
Current market price: Rs394
Margins remain under pressure
Result highlight
- Wockhardt's net sales increased by 21.8% to Rs437.7crore in Q3CY2006. The growth came on the back of a 38.5% growth in the domestic business and a 10.4% growth in the international business.
- The sales in the European market grew by 9.7%. The European sales were buoyed by the strong performance of the UK business. The sales in the US market grew by 19.6%, showing a substantial turnaround from the previous quarter.
- Wockhardt's operating profit margin (OPM) shrank by 220 basis points to 22.2% in Q3CY2006. The contraction in the margin was on account of an increase in the staff cost as the company increased its domestic field force. The decline in the margin was also attributed to the acquisition of the lower-margin Dumex business and the commissioning of the company's biotech facility (which raised the other expenditure by 460 basis points). Consequently, the company's operating profit (OP) increased by 10.8% to Rs97.1 crore in the quarter.
- The company's margins have been clouded by the capitalisation of ANDA development costs, which would have been otherwise added to the operating expenses. Adjusting for the capitalised costs, the company's OPM stands at 18.3% for the quarter (a decline of 610 basis points), whereas the OP shows a decline of 8.6% to Rs80.1 crore.
- Wockhardt's net profit rose by 13.7% to Rs74 crore. The growth in the net profit was aided by a higher other income (which doubled in the quarter). A higher tax outgo of 17.4% as compared to 12.7% in Q3CY2005 restricted the company's net profit growth. The tax outgo was higher on account of an increase in the minimum alternative tax (MAT) rate effected in the previous quarter.
- Wockhardt recently acquired Pinewood Laboratories, an Irish generic firm, for $150 million. The acquisition is expected to be complementary to Wockhardt's existing business in Europe and add marginally to its earnings.
- At the current price of Rs394, Wockhardt is quoting at 14.2x its CY2007 estimated earnings on a fully diluted basis. We reiterate our Buy recommendation on Wockhardt, with a price target of Rs552.
Mahindra & Mahindra
Cluster: Apple Green
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs870
Current market price: Rs762
Price target revised to Rs870
Result highlight
- The Q2FY2007 results of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) are way ahead of our expectations. The stand-alone net sales grew by 30.1% to Rs2,490.5 crore. The strong growth was led by the brilliant performance of the farm equipment division (FED) and higher margins of the automotive division due to an improved product mix.
- On a segmental basis, the automotive revenues rose by 21.7% to Rs1,556.5 crore. The FED reported a stellar performance, marking a revenue growth of 45.1%. The profit before interest and tax (PBIT) margin of the automotive segment improved by a whopping 470 basis points to 14.9% while that of the FED rose by 240 basis points to 14.3% in Q2FY2007. Consequently, the overall operating profit margin (OPM) grew by 345 basis points to 14.8% and the operating profit rose by 69.4% year on year (yoy) to Rs369.6 crore.
- A higher interest income aided the pre-extraordinary net profit to grow by 54.6% to Rs245.4 crore. If you consider the special dividend received from Tech Mahindra, the profit on the sale of the stake in Tech Mahindra and an octroi refund received during the quarter, the reported profit after tax (PAT) grew by 146% to Rs386.5 crore.
- M&M's Q2FY2007 consolidated revenues were also strong and grew by 46% to Rs4,617.6 crore. The consolidated PAT after minority interest rose by 133% to Rs510 crore.
- Considering the growth in the various business segments, higher realisations and higher OPM for Q2FY2007, we have upgraded our FY2007 earnings estimates (consolidated) for M&M by 5% to Rs57.8. We have maintained our FY2008 earnings estimates at Rs64.1.
- Using the sum-of-parts model, we have valued M&M's core business at Rs607 (14x FY2008E earnings) and its subsidiaries at Rs263, arriving at a higher price target of Rs870.
ICI India
Cluster: Ugly Duckling
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs430
Current market price: Rs342
Price target revised to Rs430
Result highlight
- ICI India's Q2FY2007 net profit (adjusted for extraordinary items) at Rs19.2 crore is in line with our expectations. The net profit has grown by 23.7% year on year (yoy).
- The net revenues have grown by 6.1% yoy to Rs244 crore due to the discontinuation of the rubber chemical and surfactant businesses.
- The paint business has grown by 27% yoy to Rs217.2 crore. The continued chemical business has grown by 28.4% yoy to Rs33.7 crore.
- The profit before interest and tax (PBIT) in the paint business has grown by 54% yoy with a 157-basis-point expansion in the margin. The PBIT margin in the residual chemical business has risen by 52% yoy with a 200-basis-point expansion in the margin.
- The overall operating profit (including all businesses) grew by 12.4% yoy with a 73-basis-point expansion in the operating profit margin (OPM).
- With a higher other income and stable depreciation charge, the net profit grew by 23.7% yoy to Rs19.2 crore.
- We have upgraded our earnings per share (EPS) estimates for the stock for FY2007 and FY2008, from Rs17.4 and Rs23.2 to Rs18.3 (5.5%) and Rs24.2 (4.3%) respectively, to take into account the better-than-expected margins in the paint business. Accordingly we have revised our price target on the stock to Rs430.
- At the current market price of Rs342, the stock is quoting at 15.1x its FY2008E EPS and 5.9x FY2008E enterprise value (EV)/earnings before interest depreciation tax and amortisation (EBIDTA). We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock with the revised price target of Rs430.
Corporation Bank
Cluster: Apple Green
Recommendation: Buy
Price target: Rs425
Current market price: Rs402
Price target revised to Rs425
Result highlight
- Corporation Bank's Q2F2007 net profit at Rs127 crore is up 20.3% year on year (yoy) and is below our expectations.
- The net interest income (NII) grew by a modest 3.3% yoy to Rs316.7 crore due to a 69-basis-point fall in the net interest margin (NIM), even as the advances grew by 38.5% yoy.
- The fall in the NIM was due to a lower yield on investments (down 27 basis points) and a higher cost of funds (up 88 basis points; mainly on account of a sharp rise of 77 basis points in the deposit costs).
- The other income declined by 18.1% yoy to Rs113.1 crore due to losses on treasury operation and a sedate 11.4% growth in the fee and other incomes.
- With the net income declining by 3.3% yoy and the operating expenses increasing by 7.4%, the operating profit declined by 10.7% yoy to Rs235.7 crore.
- With a significant fall in the provisioning requirement the net profit grew by 20.3% to Rs127 crore. The provisioning requirement for the non-performing assets (NPAs) declined due to a fall in the gross NPAs on account of higher recoveries and upgradations as well as a write-back of investment depreciation.
- Going forward, we expect the bank's NIM to remain stable or show some marginal improvement over Q2FY2007, as some of its high-priced deposits are likely to mature over the coming fortnight and some of its low-yielding advances are due for re-pricing.
- We have revised our earnings per share (EPS) estimates for FY2007 and FY2008 from Rs35.1 and Rs43.1 to Rs36.7 and Rs46.5 respectively to take into account the lower provisioning requirement and stable NIMs going forward.
- At the current market price of Rs402, the stock is quoting at 8.7x its FY2008E EPS, 4.3x pre-provision profit (PPP) and 1.3x book value (BV).
- Although the upside to the current market price is limited, the same could come from a better-than-expected improvement in the NIM. Further, Corporation Bank is best placed to leverage its balance sheet due to its high Tier-I capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 13.3%. It is also the best bank in the industry to implement the Basel II norms due to its high Tier-I CAR and would not require an equity dilution. We would like to wait and watch the improvement in the NIM before factoring the same into our numbers. We maintain our Buy recommendation on the stock with price target of Rs425.