Mudajaya The group's strategy in 2015 remains focused on converting its c.RM5bn tender book into awards, which has been delayed since last year. This has caused its order book to fall below RM1bn and construction margins to decline to single digits. Commercial operations of the 1,440MW coal-fired power plant is on track to start in 1H15.
COMPANIES' STRATEGIES FOR 2015 Contractors are being selective in tenders Contractors under coverage are positive about order book growth driven by the domestic market. Companies like Gamuda, IJM Corp, Sunway, WCT, Mudajaya, Muhibbah Engineering, and MRCB are keen to tender for the MRT 2 project, which should begin prequalification rounds in 2H15. Most contractors are aware of the PDP structure of LRT 3 but only a few sounded keen to pursue it. In terms of new highway jobs, Muhibbah Engineering and Mudajaya continues to more positive about its chances. The only contractor that is remains bullish on the oil & gas/port infra segment is Muhibbah Engineering while WCT is the only player that is still targeting a sizeable infra project from Qatar. YTL Corp's strategy for the construction side is underpinned by the likely implementation of the KL-Singapore HSR. Benalec's strategy in 2015 shifts to land reclamation works in Johor, pending the approval of the long-awaited environmental impact assessment (EIA) for an oil storage facility off the coast of Tanjung Piai in South Johor. Gamuda The group's focus for 2015 will be 1) executing the ongoing MRT 1 which is aiming for full completion and operations by mid-2017; both under its above ground PDP scope and underground construction works, 2) refocusing on property development within Klang Valley, given its longer-term potential especially for the newly acquired land banks in Rawang, and more land banking, and 3) targeting for a substantial role in the RM27bn Penang Transport Masterplan (PTMP), which should be announcing the PDP winner in Aug-15. Order book growth should resume in 2016, as 2015 will mainly be a pre-award phase for MRT 2. The group will also work on finalising the divestment of its 40%-owned Splash. Chances of a better pricing for Splash look more promising under Selangor's new leadership. IJM Corp IJM Corp's construction order book has more than doubled to over RM6bn with the award of a direct portion of the West Coast Expressway (WCE). Its order book now stands as the highest in the sector, suggesting that execution will be the order of the day for 2015. Strategies for property development have changed to focusing on ramping up launches pre-GST in April, especially for its ventures in Selangor, Seremban and Penang. The privatisation of IJM Land should be completed before mid-2015. Strategies for order book growth are underpinned by the Kuantan Port expansion and other selected building jobs. The group is not aggressively vying for government-funded projects. Muhibbah Engineering Growth strategies for 2015 continue to revolve around the group's niche areas, i.e. oil & gas/marine and port infrastructure, and domestic civil works. The group is not too concerned about the potential capex cuts by Petronas as Rapid and Pengerang have achieved the FID. A possible risk this year is the timing of the awards. Domestic highway construction and port-related works are also on the group's radar. MRCB A recovery in domestic tender participation in 2015 vs. 2014 drives the group's strategies for its construction arm. It will be focused on environmental infrastructure and a potentially new BOT-type project i.e. the waste-to-energy plant worth c.RM800m as reported by the press in 2014. Its order book growth target is also supported by internal works. On property development, the 64-acre Project MX-1 in Kwasa Damansara is aiming to begin works in mid 2016. The group may consider another REIT move to help fund its equity portion for Project MX-1, or alternatively pursue other funding methods for its over RM800m equity portion for its 70% stake in the JV co.
Sunway The group plans to complete the listing of Sunway Construction this year, with potential special dividends of most likely 20-30sen/share for Sunway Bhd shareholders remaining intact. Construction order book growth is anchored by domestic building jobs. The group does not focus on BOT-type projects like highways, but will be vying for a package from MRT 2 once tenders are open. WCT WCT's construction target this year remains domestic based, with potential upside from an infrastructure project in Qatar. The group continues to be less aggressive in tenders vs. other contractors in view of support from its internal works. The group is aiming for RM1bn worth of domestic jobs and RM1bn worth of overseas projects in 2015. WCT will ramp up its plans for a REIT exercise for four its property investment assets. The REIT deal should have a clearer direction by end 2015. Management remains cautious about the property sales outlook in 2015. Benalec Land reclamation works and land sales continue to be focused on Malacca. The group targets to secure the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval within 1H15 at least for the 1,000-acre land reclamation contract in Tanjung Piai. The signing of the sale and purchase (SPA) agreement with a potential off taker has been delayed by another six months from Dec-14. If the EIA is secured, the group's strategy in 2015 would be to commence land reclamation works on smaller parcels off Tanjung Piai. The next challenge would be to secure its maiden sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with an off taker. Mudajaya The group's strategy in 2015 remains focused on converting its c.RM5bn tender book into awards, which has been delayed since last year. This has caused its order book to fall below RM1bn and construction margins to decline to single digits. Commercial operations of the 1,440MW coal-fired power plant is on track to start in 1H15. YTL Corp Taking advantage of the 3-4% domestic cement demand growth in 2015 is the key strategy for YTL Cement, being the group's main profit generator. This is in spite of the pricing volatility and competitive market. YTL Power's key strategy looks likely to include exploring new assets in view of the expiry of its existing IPPs. YTL Corp’s construction order book growth strategy is underpinned by the extension of the ERL to Malacca and the KL-Singapore HSR.
Negative sentiment overplayed Taking our cue from the unchanged RM49bn development expenditure and the government's focus on public transport infra, we believe a negative scenario of deferment of projects in light of the falling oil price should not be overplayed. This is also backed by private sector jobs.
Sentiment on the sector is likely to gradually recover. We like Gamuda (our top big-cap pick) for its exposure to MRT and Penang transport infra. Muhibbah, our small/mid-cap pick, remains oversold but offers unchanged order book growth potential. We upgrade Benalec from reduce to Add. Maintain Overweight. Optimistic on the flipside The KL CON index outperformed the KLCI in 2014, but with a marginal growth of 0.4% vs. KLCI's decline of 5.7%. Construction stocks under our coverage declined 8% on average. The larger cap contractors performed relatively better compared to the smaller caps. Looking into 2015, the bulk of the infra projects in the pipeline are largely private-sector driven and should not be directly impacted by the reduced oil price. Major government-initiated projects of national interest should continue to stay on the cards. On the flipside, due to the cheaper raw material cost environment (fuel, cement and steel), this would be a good time for the government and private sectors to implement projects. We remain optimistic about Petronas's-funded projects that have received the final investment decision (FID), mainly the ones in Rapid and Pengerang. RM150bn worth of jobs The total c.RM150bn worth of projects is arguably the sector's highest value of outstanding projects at any one time in the last decade. Based on our analysis, 75% of the total 16 major jobs carry a low risk of cancellation, deferment or delays while the balance 25% shows medium to high risk mainly due to 1) financial closure, 2) funding structure, 3) project structure and 4) bilateral agreements for cross-border contracts. Be selective We continue to like Gamuda as MRT 2 (PDP and underground contract), PTMP and a better valuation for the divestment of Splash are key rerating factors. Muhibbah has been oversold with an unchanged order book outlook. In our view, chances of securing packages from Rapid in the medium term look good. In our small cap space, we upgrade Benalec from Reduce to Add. Likely steady rerating is underpinned by positive expectations in securing the EIA approval for Tanjung Piai in South
Order book growth intact; to sustain a 1-2 years of construction run-rate Contractors' margin ranges between 6% and 8% and should be relatively stable over the course of 2015, backed by a healthy outstanding order book that should sustain a 1-2 year construction run-rate. Bigger contractors are still targeting RM1bn-2bn of new jobs in 2015, while smaller players are looking at RM200m-500m. This should support an average 31% growth in order books by end-2015.
Consider the liquid big cap and be selective on oversold stocks We are positive on the outlook for both big caps Gamuda and IJM Corp, but we continue to prefer Gamuda (our top big cap pick) as 2015 sector developments would translate to clearer order book growth potential and new ventures. Fundamentals of Muhibbah Engineering have not changed, following the collapse of the oil price. The stock has displayed attractive value, supported by Rapid and Pengerang, which have secured Petronas' FID. Benalec, one of our worst performers, could emerge as a recovery play in 2015.
Negative sentiment overplayed 2015 IN REVIEW KL CON index outperformed the KLCI The KL CON index outperformed the KLCI in 2014, but with a marginal growth of 0.4% vs. KLCI's decline of 5.7%. The KL CON index was considerably slower compared to the 17% growth achieved in 2013. Most of the factors causing the decline in share prices flowed through in the later part of 2H14, stoked by the collapse in global oil prices, which in turn, raised implementation risks for domestic projects that directly needed government funding. This had somewhat offset the positives from the active period of job rollouts from mid-2014 and the early Oct-14 announcement of Budget 2015's RM49bn development expenditure. Construction stocks fell 8% on average The larger cap contractors under our coverage performed relatively better compared to the smaller caps. This was not too surprising for Gamuda, (+6%) as MRT 2 newsflow was quite active along with more clarity about potential new ventures from the RM27bn Penang transport masterplan (PTMP). IJM Corp’s share price was up 12%, thanks to the official award of the WCE while Sunway’s share price was up 22% mainly due to the potential special dividends arising from the upcoming listing of Sunway Construction this year. The top losers (down 22-50%) were Benalec, Mudajaya and WCT due to delays in project awards and weakening earnings prospects. Muhibbah Engineering's share price tumbled 18%, as sentiment eroded (together with the likes of other pure oil & gas players) in view of the group's exposure to oil and gas infra and Petronas's plans to cut capex. YTL Corp fell 2% due to the lack of clarity on the KL-Singapore HSR but it was supported by its high dividend yield.
OUTLOOK Government has set the record straight for infra spending We work on the base-case scenario that the government will continue to be more focused and zero-in on projects which 1) possess relatively higher economic IRR, 2) jobs which serve national interests and 3) fall under public transport infra upgrades. At this juncture, and especially following the clarification from the government that the RM49bn development expenditure (DE) in Budget 2015 is intact, we do not think that investors should take a worst-case scenario view, i.e. major delays and cancellation of outstanding projects. We concur with the general view among contractors that there could be a slight revision in terms of timeline for the progress of jobs, but it should be well within 2015. Key positives from the Prime Minister's recent speech were: 1) the government will maintain and spend the development expenditure budget of RM49bn for 2015, 2) the amount will be used for public housing, flood mitigation, water supply and electricity projects, 3) the amount will also be used for public transport infrastructure projects such as the Pan-Borneo Highway and 4) the projects in Rapid and Pengerang will be implemented. What are the key projects under Budget 2015? To recap, key projects identified for Budget 2015 focus more on the implementation of nine public transport and highway infrastructure projects with a total value of RM76bn. Of the total number of jobs, six are highways/roads while three are rail (LRT and MRT). The highway projects are 1) Sg. Besi-Ulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE), 2) West Coast Expressway (WCE), 3) Damansara-Shah Highway (DASH), 4) East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) and 5) Pan-Borneo Highway. Projects for the rail segment are 6) East Coast rail upgrade, 7) LRT 3 to Klang, and 8) MRT 2. In addition, RM943m has been allocated for the construction and upgrade of rural roads in Sabah and Sarawak.
c.60% of major jobs are not directly government-funded We extend our compilation and analysis of major outstanding projects to show that sector catalysts are likely to return. The good news is that almost 60% of the total identifiable major projects in the pipeline fall under the private sector category, while the balance falls under the government's direct spending, or projects initiated by the government. Our compilation excludes the potential private sector spending on power plant projects, given the still vague timeline for tenders and awards of the civil works worth RM1bn-4bn in total.
Almost RM150bn worth of jobs in the pipeline Our compilation of major jobs that have a strong likelihood of being implemented within the next 1-2 years remains relatively unchanged. However, what is more encouraging is that the projects have made somewhat considerable progress in 2H14. Most of the projects are in the tender and award stage, and should be able to translate to active order book growth phase for contractors, especially in 2H15. We calculate a total of c.RM150bn worth of projects, which is arguably the sector's highest value of outstanding projects at any one time in the last decade. Moreover, for the first time since the launch of MRT 1 in 2012, two projects will follow the project delivery partner (PDP) model. These are the RM27bn Penang Transport Masterplan (PTMP) and the RM9bn LRT 3. This is good news as higher value projects move up the value chain and benefit bigger contractors with good track records in project managing government-initiated infrastructure contracts.
Perceived risks of various projects do not look too bad Our analysis on the risks of cancellation, deferment or delays of projects shows that it is not all that worrying for the major projects. We conclude that 75% of the total 16 major jobs carry low risk of cancellation, deferment or delays while the balance 25% has medium to high risk as the projects has made the least progress since 2014. These are the Pan-Borneo Highway (which may roll out less than 5% of the total project value of RM27bn), KL-Singapore HSR, Gemas-JB rail double tracking and monorail extension. Low risk projects include the Petronas-funded Rapid project, which has so far seen over RM2bn in total infra awards as at end 2014. We view Rapid as low risk as the allocation/capex has achieved FID, and according to Petronas, it should be relatively intact. This should be positive for the prospects of awards for the subcontract works for the refinery packages (roughly estimated to be worth RM30bn in total), which have yet begin the award of the smaller initial packages. Good news: MRT and LRT contracts are still on the cards We remain encouraged by the recent clarification from the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) that the RM23bn-25bn MRT2 and the RM9bn LRT3 will proceed as scheduled, despite concerns over government spending cuts due to falling oil prices. Recall that in 2014, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a total allocation of slightly over RM30bn for the development of these two jobs. SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar also clarified that the MRT2 and LRT3 projects will not be affected by a possible cutback in public spending on new projects. This is positive overall, and should allay investors' concerns. The main question would be whether the 1Q15 initial target for the tender phase for LRT 3 is still within reach, considering the final alignment has not been firmed up.
SECTOR FUNDAMENTALS ARE HEALTHY Flipside of falling crude oil prices and order book growth We believe contractors are net beneficiaries of falling crude oil prices in light of the cost advantage. Contractors with secured projects YTD have the cost advantage (margin preservation potential and the ability to better offset the impact of GST and higher electricity tariff) in view of the depressed domestic selling prices for cement (due to price volatility from the competitive landscape/oversupply situation) and steel (dumping from China, which hurts domestic pricing power). As of the last reporting season, construction margin trends for contractors range between 6% and 8% and should be relatively stable
in 2015, backed by healthy outstanding order books that should sustain a 1-2 year construction run-rate. Bigger contractors are still targeting RM1bn-2bn of new jobs in 2015, while smaller players are looking at RM200m-500m. This should support an average 31% growth in order books by end 2015.
REVIVAL OF LAND RECLAMATION JOBS IN SOUTH JOHOR? EIA approval could be a game changer The recent environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval granted for land reclamation works relating to the 1,368ha Forest City development by Country Garden Pacific View could be a precursor to EIA approvals for other similar land reclamation contracts. We believe for 2015, this could shape up to be a recovery story for Benalec, in view of the group's full submission of its EIA proposal for a 1,000-acre land reclamation works off the coast of Tanjung Piai in South Johor three months ago.
Benalec could re-emerge as the best proxy According to the initial plans, Tanjung Piai is to be development into an oil storage facility. Two years ago, Benalec signed a development agreement (DA) with the state of Johor. This agreement gives the group the right to reclaim land at two sites in south Johor, namely Tanjung Piai for 20 years and Pengerang for 10 years. Benalec submitted its full EIA proposal in late Oct 14. Given the 3-month timeline for approval, there is a possibility of positive newsflow in the short term. If EIA is secured, the next step would be securing the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with an off taker.
Huge potential for Benalec Our earlier estimates show that potential earnings enhancement could be sizeable. Working on a RM52 psf average reclamation cost (relatively higher than the benchmark reclamation cost for the group's project in Malacca) and a fair RM65 psf selling price (RM13 psf surplus value), Benalec could gain RM566m in net profit over 5 years assuming that works begin in FY15 or over RM100m p.a. This is equivalent to double the group's FY15 forecasted net profit. Our current RNAV estimate and EPS forecasts only factors in outstanding reclamation works in Malacca and potential new reclamation works representing 20% of Tanjung Piai's 1,000-acre. Even if Benalec initiates land reclamation work on a smaller scale, the pending EIA approval is longer-term positive given Benalec's position as a key player in South Johor.
VALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION Maintain Overweight We conclude that 2015 should continue to offer bright prospects for contractors. Our analysis of major jobs shows clearly how various project statuses are nearing the award stage and could recover in term of newsflow going into 2H15. We argue that the fall in share prices of contractors in late 2014 have mostly priced in fears from the declining oil price. Now that the risk of a potential cut in Budget 2015 has somewhat diminished, investors should be selective and position themselves in stocks which offer strong order book growth and stocks that have been oversold. Taking our cue from the unchanged RM49bn development expenditure and the government's focus on public transport infra, we believe a negative scenario of deferment of projects in light of the lower oil price should not be overplayed. This is also backed by the private sector jobs, which in terms of value, account for about 60% of major domestic jobs in the next two years. We expect sentiment on the sector to gradually recover following the knee-jerk fall in share prices late last year. We continue to like Gamuda as MRT 2 (PDP and underground contract), PTMP and a better valuation for the divestment of Splash are key rerating factors. Muhibbah has been oversold, despite an unchanged order book outlook. Chances of securing packages from Rapid in the medium term look good to us. Maintain Overweight. We upgrade Benalec from Reduce to Add we expect a re-rating of the stock to be mainly event-driven, underpinned by a recovery story.
Narrowing of trading discounts to RNAV underpinned by sector catalysts Contractors under our coverage are trading at a 25-59% discount to RNAV. We expect the sector to steadily rerate in the coming months, but we expect Gamuda and Muhibbah to outperform the rest due to 1) more visibility in terms of order book growth potential, and 2) new opportunities domestically beyond existing tender books. Following the fall in share prices in late 2014, on average, share prices of contractors under our coverage are trading at 10% below their 52-week highs.
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
scottybang
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Posted by scottybang > 2015-01-17 16:27 | Report Abuse
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