MBM RESOURCES BHD (Feb 26, RM3.30)
Maintain add at RM3.31 with a target price of RM3.45: The group grew core net profit for the fourth quarter of financial year 2012 ended Dec 31 (4QFY12) by 11.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM29.5 million (-17% quarter-on-quarter [q-o-q]) as higher vehicle sales by Federal Auto (+11.5% y-o-y) and consolidation of Hirotako drove earnings growth.
This brings FY12 core net profit (excluding a RM4.8 million gain on disposal of property by Oriental Metal Industries) to RM130.6 million (+7.7% y-o-y). The results are, however, 6% below Affin and 16% below street estimates. The discrepancy on our end stemmed from lower than expected manufacturing revenue. The group declared a three sen interim net dividend per share (DPS) and we continue to hold out for 7.5 sen FY12 net DPS (FY11: six sen net DPS).
Group revenue for 4Q jumped 16.6% y-o-y thanks to:
(i) robust Federal Auto (Volvo, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi) sales growth of 11.5% y-o-y; and
(ii) contribution from Hirotako. This helped offset lower sales from the distribution of Daihatsu and Hino trucks (-29.3% y-o-y). Coupled with a robust associate earnings growth of 14.2% y-o-y (thanks to favourable yen exchange rates), 4Q core net profit rose 11.6% y-o-y to RM29.5 million. Sequentially, group revenue fell 1.9% reflecting a 4.3% y-o-y drop in Federal Auto’s overall sales for the quarter. Higher distribution of Perodua vehicles (+10.2% q-o-q) helped partly offset the drop in Federal Auto vehicle sales. The lower sales volume, higher advertising and promotions in 4Q (to encourage year-end sales) and higher effective tax rate saw 4Q core net profit contracting 17% q-o-q to RM29.5 million.
We maintain our FY13/FY14 earnings forecasts. We estimate FY13 core net profit will continue to grow (+31.4% y-o-y) against a low base, continued sales growth trajectory by Federal Auto and favourable yen exchange rate. Maintain “add†and target price of RM3.45, based on unchanged eight times 2013 earnings per share. We expect the group to reap the fruit of its labour (tie-up with Hino to manufacture commercial vehicles in Malaysia) from FY14 onwards. — Affin IB Research, Feb 26
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