After a tumultuous FY13-14 which saw the group posting heavy losses, the engineered wood-based product manufacturer’s turnaround story is deemed an extraordinary one, driven by favourable external environment and strong fundamentals. Are better days waiting ahead and will the group finally see evergreen again?
Business model: Incorporated in the year 1991, engineered wood-based product manufacturer Evergreen Fibreboard Bhd (EVF) has subsequently made its debut on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market on March 11, 2005.
The group engages principally in the business of manufacturing medium-density fibreboards (MDFs), and today counts itself as one of Asia’s leading players in the industry with a production capacity of up to 1.3 million cubic metre of MDFs per annum, alongside players like Thailand’s Vanachai Group and South Korea’s Dongwha Enterprise.
EVF has 10 MDF production lines and one particleboard production facility spread across Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Over the years, it has diversified its clientele base to include over 600 customers across more than 40 countries globally, whilst deriving no more than 10% of its topline from one single client.
EVF also operates, on a smaller scale, the manufacturing of particleboard and ready-to-assemble furniture. It also caters to its own glue requirements from its adhesive facilities based in Batu Pahat, Johor and Gurun, Kedah, while possessing 4,400 acres of rubber plantation land in Johor.
EVF’s earnings were severely dented in financial year 2012 to financial year 2014 (FY12-14), as a result of the group being overly aggressive in bidding for high-priced rubber-logging concessions in between 2011 and 2012. When rubber prices fell sharply, EVF was left holding high-priced rubberwood inventories until the second quarter of financial year 2014, and was compelled to write off up to RM20 million in inventories in FY13 and FY14 each.
Shareholders and management: EVF was established by Kuo Wen Chi, now aged 81, who still sits on the company’s board as non-independent deputy chairman. The management and operation of the group are succeeded by his sons, Kuo Jen Chang, aged 52, who is the chief executive officer; and Kuo Jen Chiu, aged 49, who is the chief operating officer.
Jen Chang oversees the group’s operations in Thailand, while Jen Chiu, is tasked with both operations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Collectively, the Kuo family holds a controlling stake of 45% in EVF.
Share price performance: EVF’s share price has been steadily going on an uptrend since the beginning of the year in January, alongside the strengthening greenback, as up to 70% of EVF’s export revenue is denominated in US dollar, with the remaining 30% denominated in local currencies of its operating countries.
Sensitivity analysis conducted by CIMB Research also indicated that a 1% strengthening of the US dollar is likely to increase EVF’s FY15 earnings per share by 10%.
EVF closed on July 23 at RM2.01, up 3 sen.
EVF has a dividend policy of distributing 20% to 50% of profits as dividends. However, this practice was suspended in FY13 and FY14 due to the company’s heavy losses. In lieu with its turnaround, CIMB Research forecasts a resumption in dividend payout to 20% to 22% in FY16-17 and a nominal dividend of 1 sen per share in FY15.
What analysts think: Dubbing EVF an “exciting turnaround story”, CIMB Research foresees many tailwinds playing to the group’s favour, all of which could potentially propel earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation from 4% in FY13 to 22% in FY17.
The prospects, according to CIMB Research, will be driven primarily by the strong-performing US dollar, sharply lower raw material costs for rubberwood logs and glue, falling freight cost, and the benefits of internal restructuring exercise being implemented by the group.
“EVF has embarked on a series of internal restructuring projects to cut costs, improve its manufacturing processes and introduce new products to improve margins. These benefits are expected to flow through in FY16-17’s earnings.
“In addition, we expect EVF to dispose of its non-core assets, which could raise up to RM110 million in cash (21 sen per share) and could be used to pare down debt and/or raise dividends,” said CIMB Research in its report published on July 20.
Altogether, the research house forecasts that EVF’s strong earnings recovery may see the group registering net profit by up to 500-fold to RM83 million, compared to a mere RM0.2 million last year, and the group achieving a net cash position by end-2017.
It is also expected that, by FY17, when EVF’s integrated plant in Segamat is ready, earnings is likely to be further boosted by the additional profit contribution from high-margin particleboards and pellets, added CIMB Research.
Convinced that the stock is “still cheap”, CIMB Research initiated a “buy” call on EVF at a target price of RM2.90, at 12.5 times FY16 price-earnings (P/E), a 20% discount to larger-cap peer, Vanachai Group which is trading at 15 times FY16 P/E.
Earnings forecast:
Peer comparison:
StockStalk: After posting extraordinary turnaround, it really seems as though better days are ahead for Asean’s largest MDF producer with a favourable external environment.
While the winds may not always blow on the same side, some associating risk factors to consider include fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, raw material prices, labour and electricity costs, as well as MDF prices.
The fact that the bulk of EVF’s earnings are denominated in the US dollar makes it susceptible to fluctuations of the greenback. While being a beneficiary of the strong US dollar, a sharp depreciation of the greenback could similarly play to its disadvantage by posing a negative impact on profit margins of the group.
Investors, though, could be assured with the fact that the turnaround is not solely dependent on external factors, but also coupled with the fact that expansion in the group’s margins is also partly owing to its internal restructuring moves, through the shutting down of unprofitable plants, procurement of newer equipment, and expanding capacity of profitable segments of its business.
While proving that the grasses are indeed not necessarily greener on the other side, those who have yet to stake a claim on the homegrown MDF producer may want to pick up the stock while it trades below fair value at RM2.90.
2015-07-26 19:24
xia問：
長青纖維板（EVERGRN，5101，主板工業產品組）前景好嗎？
答：據分析員早前走訪長青纖維板後，認為國際油價低迷及美元走強，將提振該公司賺幅，加上精簡成本營運，因而不排除可在2016年派發股息。
豐隆研究指出，該公司所需的原材料，如木材及膠汁都處於低迷，將可支撐該公司盈利。
此外，管理層也透露，公司將持續精簡成本及多元化不同的產品以取得更高的賺幅。
分析員認為，目前，長青纖維板的負債率低於0.3倍，且在改善賺幅中，不排除2016年派發股息的可能。
豐隆說，該公司需面對數項風險，包括原材料及勞工成本上升、纖維板（MDF）需求量下跌、外匯波動及無法在預定的時間內轉虧為盈。
假設該公司的美元匯率定在3令吉60仙，預計2015至2017財政年淨利可提高6.4%至12.9%，每年淨利分別為7千870萬、1億零30萬及1億零300萬令吉。
豐隆認為，該公司橡膠地庫價值尚未反映在目前股價，加上健康的資產負債表及美元走強的表現，維持該公司“買進”評級並上調目標價至2令吉15仙，本益比為11倍。（星洲日報／投資致富‧投資問診‧文：李文龍）
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