Tag - growth

E-Sports to be the new driver of growth – Nazara Technologies

 

 

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY settled lower at 16,125 (-0.6%). DIVISLAB (-6.0%), TECHM (-4.0%), and GRASIM (-3.9%) were the top losers. DRREDDY (+2.0%), HDFC (1.7%), and KOTAKBANK (+1.4%) were the gainers. Among the sectors, MEDIA (-2.6%), IT (-1.9%), and HEALTHCARE (-1.5%) led the losers. FINANCIAL SERVICES (+0.3%), and BANK (+0.1%) led the gainers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO, Nazara Technologies with Economic times on 24th May 2022:

  • The company’s revenue mix is an evolving pie chart as it is operating in 5 growth segments viz gamified learning / E-Sports / freemium / ad tech and skill-based real money gaming. All of these areas have a very large Target Audience Market and strong tailwinds based on organic growth momentum and inorganic velocity in different segments.
  • Gamified learning was the largest segment in FY21 and now E-Sports is the largest segment in FY22 the company believes E-Sports has the potential to further evolve if mid-size M&A were to happen in skill-based real money gaming.
  • The online gaming segment has been on the rise for a few years now. In 2020, this segment grew to Rs 79 billion and had a steady growth of 28% in 2021. Even with the lockdown being lifted, this sector has continued to show growth.
  • The Online Gaming sector was valued at Rs 101 billion in 2021, according to an EY FICCI report. The number of esports players doubled from 3,00,000 in 2020 to 6,00,000 in 2021. Additionally, the number of online gamers grew by 8% from 360 million in 2020 to 390 million in 2021, and is expected to rise to 450 million by 2023. The gaming segment is expected to grow exponentially in all verticals including E-Sports for the company.
  • The management expects the online gaming industry to reach 500 million gamers by 2025 and will become the fourth largest segment of India’s M&E sector. It is expected to reach Rs 153 billion at a CAGR of 15%. This growth is expected to be mainly driven by three things: NFTs, Metaverse, and esports.
  • For the next few quarters – the management expects esports to continue to build on the momentum of Q4 and the opening of offline events and the growth of D2C biz with M&A of Wings and Planet Super Hero will be key drivers of growth for the company.
  • The company is present in 5 of the most dominant consumer trends in gaming and will also participate in web 3 so besides this, the management doesn’t think there are any unexplored new opportunity segments. The management’s aim this year is to strengthen leadership in each of the segments that the company operates across emerging markets outside the Indian subcontinent.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • The online gaming sector is still an underpenetrated segment in India. With increasing internet accessibility and smartphone availability, India offers a largely untapped market in the online gaming segment, which has been accelerated by the pandemic and lockdowns.
  • Being the market leader in this segment, Nazara Technologies is well poised to strengthen its leadership in the E-sports category for the medium term.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of Nazara Technologies was ₹ 1,200/- as of 24-May-2022.  It traded at 28x/ 21x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 43/ 58/- per share for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1796 /- implies a P/E Multiple of 31x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 58/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Rising interest rates to have a positive impact on NIMs – SBI

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Monday, NIFTY ended at 15,842 (+0.4%). PSUBANK (+3%), REALTY (+2.6%), and AUTO (+2.3%) were the sectoral gainers while IT (-0.7%), FMCG (-0.35%), and PHARMA (-0.2%) were the losers.

Among the stocks, EICHERMOT (+8%), APOLLOHOSP (+4.2%), and UPL (+2.8%) led the gainers, while ULTRACEMCO (-3%), SHREECEM (-2.5%), and ASIANPAINT (-1.7%) led the losers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, SBI with CNBC-TV18 on 15th May 2022:

  • In terms of advances, SBI has a pipeline of about Rs 4,600 bn worth of proposals. Currently, its corporate book stands at Rs 8,100bn, and if this number fructifies, then it is going to reflect in a healthy corporate book for the bank.
  • There is enough demand in the economy. The growth is coming from the investment demand which is there from the infrastructure projects being led by the government of India. This is going to be the major lever that will bring in more and more spending for investment purposes in the economy.
  • Focus on PLI schemes, and increase in exports are some of the other growth levers that give SBI the confidence and conviction to see decent growth in their loan book.
  • SBI expects ROE (Return on Equity) to be near 15% by FY23 and reach the equivalent level by FY24.
  • It has a Capital Adequacy Ratio that can easily support 10-11% growth in the loan book but it will be closely watching the scenario in terms of growth as it doesn’t want capital to be a constraint when it comes to growth of the bank.
  • SBI expects its slippages to be down but will be closely monitoring them due to the rising interest situation.
  • The asset quality of the bank is expected to be at least at the current levels of 4% if not improved.
  • Normally, there is always a lag between the deposit rates increase and that leads to a situation where the loan interest rates might start moving faster as compared to deposits. This will have a positive impact on the NIMs of the bank.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • We expect loan book momentum to remain healthy with economic activities picking up and the government’s initiatives to boost infrastructure-related investments.
  • We expect a higher mix of floating loans and CASA mix to contribute to margin expansion in a rising interest rate scenario.
  • We expect moderation in slippages over the subsequent quarters.

Consensus Estimates: (Source: Market screener and investing.com website)

  • The closing price of SBI was ₹ 456/- as of 15-May-2022.  It traded at 1.3x/1.2x the consensus book value per share estimate of ₹ 342/388 for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 646/- implies a P/BVPS multiple of 1.6x on the FY24E BVPS estimate of ₹ 388/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Q1 festive sales indicating a bumper quarter  – Titan

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

The Indian indices closed flat. NIFTY ended at 16,683 led by TECHM (4.2%), HEROMOTOCO (4.1%), and INFY (3.3%). INDUSINDBK (-4.1%), BRITANNIA (-3.4%), and SUNPHARMA (-3.1%) were top losers.

Among the sectoral indices, IT (+2.1%), METAL (+0.6%), and AUTO (+0.4%) were the top gainers. REALTY (-1.6%), HEALTHCARE (-0.8%), and PHARMA (-0.8%) led the sectoral laggards.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. CV Venkatraman, MD, Titan with ETNow on 04th May 2022: 

  • 4QFY22 was a challenging quarter because of Covid 3.0, because of the global crisis in March which put the price of gold in a spin, rising a lot and also being very volatile. Naturally, consumer sentiment in the jewelry market was dampened and thus Company was not surprised by a decline in sales in Q4.
  • The management looks at annual performance as opposed to every quarter. For FY22 as a whole, the management was exceedingly satisfied despite Q4 pressures FY22 ended well.
  • The company’s sales growth for FY22 is upwards of 35% on a pretty normal base. The jewelry business in FY21 itself had recovered to the FY20 level. The profit grew almost 100% over FY21, indicating sustained momentum and growth.
  • The management gives a lot more weightage to the company’s competitive position in the industry which is tracked in real-time. The management is very confident that it is rising demonstrating one more step towards its ability to continue to compete much better in the future.
  • Titan has begun April on a very good note. Management is very confident about how April and early May are showing signs that the issues which clouded Q4, particularly Covid on one hand and the intense global crisis which was in its early stages in March. Both the threats look watered down and therefore the environment is very conducive to growth and it expects Bumper Akshay Tritiya sales.
  • The Bharat story is very strong for Titan across all formats and it’s seeing that playing out month after month and particularly in the April-June quarter, there will be a lot of semi-urban, and rural weddings which will certainly benefit through. The company has been penetrating deeper and deeper into small towns with around 50% tier-3 cities where large format Tanishq stores are being opened.
  • The Watch segment is a 30-year plus business and in the WFH situation, the demand for new watches and different kinds of watches is low. So it is the most challenged category out of all the categories.
  • The Titan EyePlus brand is well positioned and therefore the management is unmoved about one quarter’s EBIT margin dilution as it is looking at a two-three-year window for the category and a similar two-three-year window for a category like Analog Watches which are intrinsically an accessory that has been under some kind of pressure.
  • The jewelry category is a Rs 300,000 crore plus category; Titan accounts for less than Rs 30,000 crore. There is no brand like Tanshiq in this country that has multiple dimensions and therefore the management believes the runway of growth for Tanishq is very long as the majority of the market is unorganised.

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • Titan Company has suffered over the last 2 years due to Covid-19 waves washing out traditionally bumper quarters for the company. The under penetration of organised players, strong brand image, and an inherent uptick in jewelry demand make it one of the best-placed players in the segment and has significant tailwinds for growth.
  • Titan’s other segments such as Eyewear, and Apparel (Taniera) are also dominated by local small-scale players. The Titan brand, increasing consumer preference towards branded goods, and rising per capita income are key levers for the company’s growth in these segments.

 

Consensus Estimate: (Source: Marketscreener website)

 

  • The closing price of Titan was ₹ 2,262/- as of 05-May-2022.  It traded at 69x/ 54x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 33/42 for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 2,720/- implies a P/E Multiple of 65x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 42/-

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

Focused on creating organic and inorganic business opportunities – IndusInd Bank


Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY closed in the green at 17,266 (+0.3%) near its high of 17,300. Among the sectoral indices, PSU BANK (+0.8%), METAL (+0.8%), and PHARMA (+0.5%) were the top gainers and MEDIA (-1%), REALTY (-0.8%) and IT (-0.3%) were the sectoral losers. TATASTEEL (+3%), CIPLA (+2.0%), and RELIANCE (+1.7%) were the top gainers. ONGC (-2.8%), POWERGRID (-1.8%), and SBILIFE (-1.3%) were among the top losers.

Excerpts from an interview of Mr. Sumant Kathpalia, MD & CEO, IndusInd Bank (INDUSINDBK) with Economic Times dated 07th February 2022:

  • INDUSINDBK had slowed down their microfinance business and hence the disbursements grew only by 3% sequentially. Disbursement growth came at 4.5% without microfinance as always guided by the company.
  • On deposits, they are as good as the industry and are very comfortable with the way the growth is coming back.
  • Microfinance currently holds 12.5% of INDUSINDBK’s portfolio. It has guided about the proportion being limited to 15% of the total portfolio. It has diversified the rural vertical into various other businesses and is growing rapidly in the merchant acquiring business.
  • The deep rural book that is of ₹ 1500 mn currently, is expected to reach a value of ₹ 5,000 mn by the end of FY23E.
  • INDUSINDBK has launched a new platform with a focus on five verticals. Out of these, easy credit for personal loans and credit cards are already launched. It is in the market since January and the company is seeing a rapid increase in disbursements as well as the experience the clients are getting in it.
  • They have launched ‘Indus Wheels’ which specifically focuses on vehicle finance and they expect to see a different used car experience in the market from February end or March onwards.
  • INDUSINDBK has launched one or two commercials about their merchant acquiring business and saw a good response to the same. They have a few launches lined up that will be millennial prepositions, hugely interactive offering personalized user experience.
  • They have created provisions of ₹ 3,328 mn as a protection against any future shocks. They have also done a ₹ 1,400 mn provision on the restructured book.
  • The company will now lend at 230 bps and believes that the credit cost should settle around 120 to 150bps.
  • INDUSINDBK has always been interested in para-banking. They are looking to add a fourth domain which can come out of affordable housing, wealth management, mortgage, or a business like a merchant acquisition. The main objective of this domain is to create a business opportunity that can be organic or inorganic.
  • The promoters of the bank are awaiting the operating guidelines on the 26% promoter limit allowed by the RBI. Once these guidelines are clear and if the bank needs funds, the promoters will be the first ones to infuse capital into the company.
  • Vodafone-Idea business has to start playing out for INDUSINDBK to reverse its provisions. Vodafone is expected to come back to the banker’s consortium wagon with a definitive business plan about how they will raise funds and how the business is going to grow. Once that is finalised, how Vodafone’s business gets executed over two or three quarters will decide if the provisions will start reversing.
  • MSME and SME sectors are growing. On the corporate and on the MSME side, the company is confident about being ahead of the market and not an outlier.
  • Kathpalia expects the central bank will continue to support growth and the increase in rates will not be passed on to the end consumers immediately.
  • Four things to look at in FY23 for INDUSINBK: 1) Now that the balance sheet is stable, they will be focused on the bank’s growth momentum, 2) PPOP margins have been highest or second highest in the industry around 5.9% to 6% and will be maintained between 5.75% to 6%. 3) Credit costs are expected to swing back and land between 120 and 150 bps and 4) The bank’s fourth domain should come into existence in the form of para banking or affordable housing or wealth management.

Asset Multiplier comments:

  • With economic activities picking up, the disbursements in vehicle finance and microfinance are expected to start gaining momentum.
  • The bank has sufficient provisioning which is expected to reduce credit costs and improve its margin trajectory in the subsequent quarters.
  • We expect healthy traction in the bank’s loan book and an increase in disbursements due to the introduction of technology-driven services.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: Market screener and investing websites)

  • The closing price of IndusInd Bank was ₹ 938/- as of 08-February-2022.  It traded at 1.5x/1.3x/1.2x the consensus book value per share estimate of ₹ 611/688/784/- for FY22E/FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus average target price is ₹ 1,267/- which implies a P/BV multiple of 1.6x on FY24E BVPS of ₹ 784/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Best Demand Environment in a Decade – Tech Mahindra

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Wednesday, NIFTY closed lower at 18,211 (-0.3%) dragged by MEDIA (-2.0%), METAL (-1.5%) and PRIVATEBANK (-1.4%). PSU BANK (+2.1%), IT (+1.0%) and PHARMA (+0.9%) were the gaining sectors. The top gainers in NIFTY50 were ASIANPAINT (+4.1%), UPL (+3.8%), and DIVISLAB (+2.3%). The top losers were AXISBANK (-6.5%), BAJFINANCE (-4.8%), and ONGC (-3.5%).

Edited excerpts of an interview with Mr. C P Gurnani, MD, and CEO of Tech Mahindra with CNBCTV18 on 26th Oct 2021:

  • The company is committed to the high growth trajectory over the full year of FY22, which resulted in its highest ever sequential growth in a decade. Every business segment has reported sequential growth in Q2FY22.
  • The Company has a best-in-class geographic mix with North America contributing less than 50%, Europe contributing 25%, and the Rest of the World Contributing 25%, with a geographical presence in 90 Countries. The company is well diversified in terms of geography.
  • The Company increased its guidance of around 500-600 Mn USD in Deal wins to 750 Mn to 1 Bn USD over the next few quarters, on the back of a robust deal pipeline and sustained growth in the demand environment.
  • The Company plans to improve its margins by keeping control on sub-contracting costs which are at historically high levels. Utilisation has reduced due to fresher intake in the last quarter, which the company expects to improve over time.
  • Cloud Migration and 5G are the biggest drivers of growth in new deal wins. There’s a huge movement in the legacy to digital business which is expected to continue over the next few quarters.
  • The company made two acquisitions during the quarter- Loadstone and WeMake website. Loadstone has revenue of about 35 Mn USD and is EPS accretive, the other acquisition was IP Driven and is insignificant to the topline.
  • Current levels of attrition are hurting the demand fulfillment of the company and the company plans to reduce attrition by shifting to tier-2 cities and new HR Policies.

 Asset Multiplier Comments

  • The management commentary of continued strength in end demand aided by significant deal wins, and healthy deal pipelines driven by 5G and cloud will help the company sustain its revenue growth guidance.
  • Attrition and supply-side issues are the biggest headwinds for IT Companies. The company’s bottom-line can only see sustained growth if these challenges are dealt with in the upcoming quarters.

Consensus Estimate (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of Tech Mahindra was ₹ 1,568/- as of 26-October-21. It traded at 25x/22x/19x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 64/73/81 for FY22E/ FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1,703/- implies a PE multiple of 21x on FY24E EPS of ₹ 81/-.

 

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Organic growth to sustain as guided, no big bang acquisitions planned– HCLTECH

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY50 ended its 7-day winning streak to close at 18,419 (-0.3%), dragged down by REALTY (-4.7%), PSUBANK (-3.7%), and FMCG (-3.2%). The sectoral gainers were IT (2.2%), and FINANCIAL SERVICES (0.2%). Among the stocks, TECHM (+4.3%), LT (+3.3%), and INFY (+1.8%) led the gainers while ITC (-6.3%), TATAMOTORS (-4.9%), and EICHERMOT (-4.5%) were the top laggards.

HCLTECH missed the street estimates in the declared earnings for the quarter ended 30th September 2021. Mr. C Vijayakumar, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Prateek Aggarwal, Chief Financial Officer at HCL Technologies discussed the quarter gone by and reaffirmed its annual FY22 guidance in an interview with CNBC-TV18 on 18th October 2021:

  • The Products and Platforms business has been a laggard in FY22, with quarterly slippages affecting the guidance of the segment but the impact is immaterial to the top-line growth, where the company has reaffirmed its EBIT margin guidance of 19-21%.
  • Q2FY22 was the best quarter for the company with unprecedented growth in client mining, large deal wins, and total headcount. The company has introduced a formal dividend pay-out policy on the back of its commitment to rationalise capital allocation.
  • The Company has rolled out the first tranche of wage hikes in Q2FY22 and expects the second tranche to be rolled out in Q3FY22. It expects the slippages in the Products and Platforms business to be recovered in the upcoming quarter.
  • The company had a track record of a high dividend pay-out until FY20. With a significant outflow due to an acquisition, the pay-outs were subdued over the past few quarters. With a recovery in free cash flows and demand from investors, the company has decided to come up with a formal dividend policy with higher pay-outs.
  • The current demand environment has established momentum in the organic business. The company plans to focus on executing current demands rather than go all-in after a major acquisition. The company may add small tuck-ins to expand capabilities or geographies.
  • In Q2Fy22, the company had a strong deal win rate. The pipeline in Q1FY22 was at the highest level ever, it slightly moderated because the company closed a lot of deals.
  • The pipeline has a good mix of mid-size and large deals. There is also a lot of momentum in existing accounts, where customers are ramping up on several digital initiatives, with smaller ticket transformational projects are being taken up by the company.
  • The company expects to exceed its initial guidance on hiring 20,000-22,000 freshers on the back of robust demand and backfilling attrition in the recent quarters.
  • Momentum is seen across all verticals with BFSI and Manufacturing being the leaders. The manufacturing vertical is seeing an uptick in engineering services with various transformational deals and projects being undertaken.

 

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • COVID-19 pandemic has unmistakably created a paradigm shift in the ITES Industry, with a strong focus on digitisation around the world across both size and verticals will result in a high growth period for the industry.
  • HCL Tech like its peers will also continue to face supply-side crunch and attrition problems. The situation is expected to improve over the next few quarters which will help to reduce the margin pressures.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of HCLTECH was ₹ 1,232/- as of 19-October-2021. It traded at 25x/ 22x/20x the consensus earnings estimate of ₹ 49/ 56/ 63. for FY22E/FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1360/- implies a PE multiple of 22x on FY24E EPS of ₹ 63/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

This quarter is all about consolidation of growth momentum – TCS

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Monday, NIFTY ended higher at 17,946 (+0.3%) as it closed near the intraday high level of 18,041. All the sectoral indices were gainers, led by AUTO (+3%), REALTY (+1.7%), and METAL (+1.5%) except IT which was down by (-3.3%). Among the stocks, TATAMOTORS (+9.1%), COALINDIA (+4.4%), and MARUTI (+3.4%) led the gainers while TCS (-6.3%), TECHM (-2.7%), and INFY (-1.8%) led the losers. 

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and MD, of TCS  with Business Standard on 11th October 2021:

  • TCS believes that this is one of the best quarters they have had. The growth was broad-based. From a deal win standpoint, every vertical has come back strongly.
  • Large verticals like retail and manufacturing have all done well.
  • Growth has been driven by three aspects: increased outsourcing, building a digital core, and growth and transformation agenda of clients.
  • This growth is evident in customer metrics as the numbers are above pre-pandemic baselines and each layer of the customer pyramid has grown.
  • This growth momentum is expected to continue as the demand is strong but there could be seasonality of demand and operations which are specific to industries and regions. How this seasonality pans out remains to be seen.
  • Two years ago, TCS experimented by taking in 32,000-35,000 freshers in the first two quarters and this model proved to be successful. They plan to do this in FY22 as well, as their approach to providing fresher training is modified.
  • Fresher training is no longer looked at as a standalone activity. Rather, it is deeply integrated into business units themselves. The training is more aligned to where demand is and the focus of the curriculum is in tune with the business units.
  • By participating in G&T (Growth and Transformation) projects, TCS has been trying to be aware of which part of the customer agenda they were partnering with. Creating awareness and articulating what TCS does, both internally and externally are the key part.
  • What matters is that TCS is relevant to its customer base. They have over 1,000 customers and 98% of its business is repeat business’s relevance to customers should continue and increase.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • TCS like the entirety of the IT Industry has been facing the brunt of attrition-related margin pressures. Strong brand building and employee satisfaction have helped it keep attrition at an industry low.
  • We expect these input pressures to sustain over the next 2-3 quarters post which TCS’ long-term growth levers would kick in and help the company venture into the next phase of growth.

 Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of TCS was ₹ 3,686/- as of 11-Oct-2021. It traded at 38x/33x/30x the consensus earnings per share estimate of ₹ 105/119/132 for FY22E/FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 3,978/- implies a PE multiple of 30x on FY24E EPS of ₹/132-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Multi-Year growth potential for all verticals – Infoedge

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY ended higher at 17,822. The top gainers in NIFTY50 were ONGC (+10.8%), INDUSINDBK (+5.0%), and COALINDIA (+4.2%). The top losers were CIPLA (-2.4%), HINDALCO (-2.1%), and SHREECEM (-1.8%). The top gaining sectors were OIL & GAS (+2.8%), IT (+1.2%), and MEDIA (+0.8%), while the top sectoral losers were REALTY (-1.4%), HEALTHCARE (-0.7%), and PHARMA (-0.5%).  

Edited excerpts of an interview with Mr. Hitesh Oberoi, CEO & MD, Info Edge with CNBCTV18 aired on 04th September 2021:

  • In the last few quarters, the job market, especially for engineers has not been of the type one has seen in maybe the last two decades. It’s a super-hot market with attrition rates for most companies going through the roof, talent is impossible to hire.
  • The company believes it is a rock-solid market, and it is slowly spreading now to the non-IT sectors as well. Starting with the IT market, which has been growing for the last three quarters but now, it’s now beginning to spread to the other sectors as well, as the Indian economy starts to recover.
  • There is a limited pool of talent, every company wants to go digital and companies have brought forward their multi-year plans. Companies that were hoping to get 30-50 percent of their business to come from digital in the next five years are now hoping that 70 percent of their business will be digital in the next two years.
  • The fact that there are remote working opportunities, people are able to get jobs not just in India but even overseas. There is this massive surge right now, one cannot overnight produce a lot of engineers, or overnight upskill them. Unless the demand is hit for some reason, the situation will continue to be like this for the next few quarters as well.
  • The company is a pure-play internet company that runs an online job portal Naukri.com. It has massively benefitted from this uptick in the employment market and has managed to translate that to revenue growth as well.
  • The company is also bullish on the growth prospects of its other website 99acres.com, a real estate classifieds platform due to demand pick-up post lock down impact. According to him, growing prices, demand pick up across the country, cheaper credit availability are all signs of a multi-year growth cycle for real estate.
  • The Wedding cycle is also poised to pick up with more liberal government policies and the pent-up demand due to lockdowns that had brought this industry to a stand -still, the upcoming festive and wedding season bodes well for Matrimony.com.
  • Infoedge continues to be a startup incubator and aggregator with investments across startups like Zomato and Policy Bazaar and the company will continue to be on the lookout for strategic acquisitions in the startup ecosystem which is currently in a valuation bubble.
  • The Company is planning to launch an in-house blue-collar job portal called JobHai which is currently in the test marketing stage and also has made strategic investments in real estate, jobs, and education verticals.
  • The company has significant cash and capital balances to fund more startups and acquisitions to expand its portfolio and will look at listing each of its businesses separately if it believes that will help shareholders unlock more value.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • The intensity of digital penetration across India has increased over the past few years, however, there is a lot more value to be unlocked for companies like Infoedge by expanding across India.
  • Infoedge has created a value chain through its verticals and strategic acquisitions that range from education to jobs, insurance to real estate, and now food delivery, which will likely consolidate its presence as the undisputed leader of internet-based aggregators in India.

Consensus Estimate (Source: market screener website)

  • The closing price of Infoedge was ₹ 6,493/- as of 05-Oct-21. It traded at 193x/148x/118x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 36/47/59 for FY22E/ FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 6,520/- implies a PE multiple of 111x on FY24E EPS of ₹ 59/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

 

 

Bank to see a greater expansion in rural areas – HDFC bank

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, NIFTY ended lower at 17,362 (-0.1%) as it closed 40 points below the opening level of 17,402. Among the sectoral indices, CONSUMER DURABLES (+1.0%), FMCG (+0.3%), and FINANCIAL SERVICES (+0.2%) ended higher, whereas REALTY (-2.3%), IT (-1.3%), and PSU BANK (-1.3%) ended lower. Among the stocks, BHARTIARTL (+2.6%), HDFC (+2.5%), and GRASIM (+1.6%) led the gainers while SUNPHARMA (-2.2%), BPCL (-1.8%), and HINDALCO (-1.8%) led the losers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Rahul Shukla, Group Head, Commercial & Rural Banking, of HDFC Bank (HDFCBANK) with Economic Times on 6th September 2021:

  • The reality is very different from what is spoken about in TV newsrooms. The commercial vehicle and construction equipment business is strong, credit utilisation by MSMEs is steadily increasing every month, the healthcare sector is fairly credit-strong.
  • The bank continues to expand its geographic footprint, extending credit in rural and semi-urban areas of the country, and sees no credit challenges in finding new business.
  • The bank is active in transportation finance, where it finances trucks, construction equipment, and tractors. The disbursements in July were 40% higher than in June, and in August, were 20-25% higher than in July.
  • The bank operates in 100,000 villages and in two years, it may expand to 200,000 villages. Even if it’s a huge jump, it is still only 30% of the market. The bank has a robust digital platform which has helped it to add new customers.
  • Rural lending today is about 90% crop-based lending. Crop-based lending is largely related to the price of dal and sugarcane. As the ecosystem is completely changing, there is a lot of push in vegetables, fruits, poultry, piggery, etc. which accounts for 60-65% of the crop-based lending.

Asset Multiplier Comments

  • Banks were willing to lend to the rural population during the 1st covid wave period as they were not as much affected as urban areas. The rural population was largely affected during the 2nd covid wave, and it is still recovering from the impact. Therefore, the dynamics related to lending may be different going forward.
  • HDFC Bank has seen a reduction in interest expenses and other operating expenses over the last 5 years. This trend is likely to continue in the upcoming years as the bank continues to manage its deposits and borrowings well. With reducing provisions led by an increase in NPA recoveries, the bank’s increasing geographic footprint, and well-balanced CASA deposits, we expect the bank’s prospects to improve further.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website and investing.com website)

  • The closing price of HDFCBANK was ₹ 1,570/- as of 07-Sept-2021. It traded at 3.7x/3.2x/2.7x the consensus book value estimate of ₹ 423/488/574 for FY22E/FY23E/FY24E respectively.
  • The consensus target price of ₹ 1,760/- implies a PB multiple of 3.1x on FY24E BVPS of ₹ 574/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”

Recovery seen in June, growth momentum ahead – SBI Cards

Update on Indian Equity Market:

On Tuesday, markets ended lower with Nifty closing at 15,746 (-0.5%). HINDALCO (+4.3%), SBILIFE (+3.2%), and TATASTEEL (+2.7%) were the top gainers on the index while DRREDDY (-10.3%), CIPLA (-3.5%) and AXISBANK (-3.3%) were the top losers for the day. Among the sectoral indices, METAL (+1.5%) and PSU BANK (+0.4%) were the gainers, while PHARMA (-4.3%), PRIVATE BANK (-0.9%) and REALTY (-0.7%) were the top losers.

 

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Rama Mohan Rao Amara, MD & CEO, SBI Cards on CNBCTV18 dated 26th July 2021:

 

  • The Company suffered stress from the 3rd week of April till mid-June. Reduction of lockdown restrictions provided the push for the company to ramp up sales and sourcing, and July shows further signs of progress.
  • The company’s New Account Acquisition in the first quarter was lower due to the lockdown effect, however, the company has achieved its run rate of 3,00,000 card issuance per month.
  • Consumer sentiment and discretionary spending are coming back to pre-pandemic levels. The company is optimistic about further growth in sourcing, which is mostly done through bankers, which was affected due to lockdown.
  • Average monthly spending per card was at Rs 11,000 but it’s slowly inching up to indicate increased levels of discretionary spending and rebounding of economic activity in July. The company expects it to grow to Rs 13,000-13,500 levels barring any major disruptions.
  • Recovery is seen in both distribution channels- Bankers and Open Market distributions. With the opening up of the economy further, the company expects to grow from its minimum run rate of 3,00,000 card issues per month by leveraging multi-channel partnerships that the company has developed.
  • 52-53% of FY21 sourcing was done through banker channels which leverages its presence in tier 3, tier 4 towns, and rural areas, indicative of an increased digital penetration in rural areas.
  • Expansion of E-commerce and other online platforms into rural areas has seen a shift to digital transactions across rural areas, which has helped the company tap into its existing banking customer base, which also helps the company keep a track of its delinquencies.
  • The impact of the entire Mastercard ban accounts for less than 2% of monthly sourcing for the company, so the company has little risk. Even so, the company is proactively negotiating with its partners to mitigate the effects.

Asset Multiplier Comments:

  • Credit Cards Industry in India, is in its nascent stages of penetration, and there’s tremendous growth potential with digital penetration in Indian Rural Markets a thrust area for everyone.
  • SBI Cards can leverage the SBI Brand and its penetration across India to unlock growth potential that can rarely be done so easily by any other of its competitors.

 

Consensus Estimates (Source: market screener website): 

  • The closing price of SBI Cards was ₹ 1,017/- as of 27-July-2021.  It traded at 54x/38x the EPS estimate of ₹19/₹ 27 for FY22E/23E.
  • The consensus price target of ₹ 1,184/- implies a 44x PE multiple for FY23E EPS of ₹ 27/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”