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Tanla Solutions CMP: Rs 482.65 Target price: Rs 706 HDFC Securities has initiated coverage on Tanla Solutions with a ‘buy’ recommendation on account of the company’s presence in the mobile transaction business. According to the brokerage, Tanla Solutions’ revenue is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 72% between FY07 and FY09. “Servicing content providers will help Tanla to catch up with the rapid technological changes in the content delivery business. This is a major business for Tanla and helps it to get more content providers on its network,” says the report. Moreover, the company is expected to spend Rs 220 million in FY08 on R&D. “We believe that the company would grow at a CAGR of 59% in FY07-09E at net levels. This gives us a target price of Rs 706 for the stock --Rs 646 for the core business and Rs 60 for its non-core business (interest and dividend incomes),” said the brokerage in a note to its client. Spice Comm CMP: Rs 55 Target price: Rs 70 Citigroup has initiated coverage on Spice Communications with a ‘buy’ recommendation as the telecom entity is in the process of ramping up coverage in Punjab and Karnataka. “Moreover, we believe its suitability as an M&A target provides the icing on the cake,” adds the report. Access to 900 MHz and its small footprint make it an attractive and probably the only M&A candidate, explains the foreign brokerage. “New spectrum rules may dilute M&A prospects a bit, but on the flip side provides a chance to enter new circles, though constrained by size and management bandwidth,” it adds. However, the report adds that while new circle rollouts are possible if new spectrum norms are accepted by the department of telecom (DoT), Spice will remain constrained by its balance sheet size as well as management bandwidth. Citigroup has set a 12-month price target at Rs 70 per share. Incidentally, the price target includes a 15% M&A premium. We believe that the scope for merger/acquisition between Spice and other telcos such as Idea, RCOM and Aircel still exists, says Citigroup. Mindtree Consulting CMP: Rs 582.75 Target price: Rs 556 Religare has initiated coverage on Mindtree Consulting with a ‘sell’ recommendation as it feels that operational risks are raising concerns and valuations are expensive. While Mindtree has been one of the fastest growing mid-tier Indian IT services company, growth has slowed down significantly in FY07 and is further expected to slow down in FY08 due to rupee appreciation, says the report. “Risks to growth is significant as more than 65% of the revenues come from development projects which are highly dependant on the discretionary IT spend of clients. In the event of an economic slowdown in the US, discretionary IT spends would be curtailed,” adds the report. However, the report adds that the estimates do not factor in any large deals that the company might win that could fuel higher-than-expected earnings growth. IOB CMP: Rs 138.15 Target price: Rs 150 Angel Broking has recommended a ‘buy’ on Indian Overseas Bank with a 12-month price target of Rs 150. “IOB remains in a ‘sweet spot’ with its superior return ratios, consistently high net interest margins, better operating efficiency and higher leverage. Going ahead, with the government’s holding at 61%, IOB would be an active candidate in the consolidation process in the PSU banking space,” says the report. Meanwhile, the brokerage has valued the bank at a 10% discount to fair value to factor in its geographical concentration. The report has also factored in positives like well-managed assets and liabilities to drive earnings, a significantly derisked investment book and strong operating performance. Further, IOB is well-placed on the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) front. “For FY07, the bank reported CAR of 13.27% of which Tier I comprised 8.2%. Post implementing Basel II, management expects CAR would stand at 12%. IOB has to comply with Basel II guidelines by FY08 due to its overseas branch network. We do not expect the bank to dilute its equity in the near term,” adds the report.