Monthly Archives: February 2022

ARB Holdings – H1:22 Results – Tough, Chaotic Trading Period

Share Code: ARH – Market Cap: R1.8bn – PE: 9.3x – DY: 4.3%

H1:22 – July Riots, Omicron 4^th Wave & Fading DIY Spend

ARB Holdings’ H1:22 results reflected a tough, chaotic trading period where riots in July and the Omicron 4^th Wave all hit the Group’s operations while supply chains remained unpredictable and inflation pressures began to materialize.
The Group’s revenue rose 7.5% y/y, though this was driven by the Electrical Division’s good performance. The Lighting Division saw a contraction over this period as the July riots disrupted many of its customers, discretionary retail spending faded off the high DIY-led base, and supply chains put pressure on in-house logistics.
Headline Earnings Per Share (HEPS) slipped somewhat to 39.1cps (H1:21 – 41.1cps), though backed by good cash generation and the Group’s normal bulletproof balance sheet.
Per Group policy, management has not declared an interim dividend (only a final dividend is normally declared).
Finally, during the period, the Group acquired the 25%-minority in CraigCor and secured a replacement supplier of switchgear, TosunLux, that should contribute positively to the Group going forward.

Our Thoughts: Offer to Minorities Key Short-term Event

More pertinent to the Group’s short-term future, Masimong Electrical made an 800cps cash offer to ARB minorities with a proposed delisting of the Group.
Refer to our previous note for more detail as to this offer – Offer to Minorities & Proposed Delisting.

Forecast, Valuation & Implied Return: Based on Offer to Minorities

We see the 12m TP as 800cps (previously: 766cps) and have derived it from the existing cash offer to minorities of 800cps.
This implies that there remains c.5% return at the current share price versus this offer.
Using the 12m TP and assuming the deal takes approximately four months for funds to flow, we see fair value as 775cps (previously: 654cps) based on the time value of money and the South African 10-year bond yield.

Share Code: SBP – Market Cap: R2.4bn – Dividend Yield: 0.6%

New Investment: ARB Holdings Ltd

Masimong Electrical (49.9%-held by Sabvest & 50.1% by Masimong) has offered minority shareholders in ARB Holdings 800cps. Along with the Burke Family (62.9%-shareholding in ARB), the deal aims to take the electrical & lighting wholesaler private. The total consideration will be c.R697m, & Masimong and Sabvest have each committed R223.5m funding (Sabvest’s share is c.9.3% of its market cap & c.6.5% of published NAV).
Irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the deal have been received from 69.4% of eligible shareholders, thus, we believe that this deal’s successful outcome is quite likely.
Refer to our notes on ARB Holdings for detail on the Group.

New Investment: Apex Acquires Ascendis Medical

Sabvest’s 44.8%-held investment, Apex Partners, has acquired a stable of Ascendis Health medical devices businesses for R550m (less c.R200m catch-up capex & up to R25m excess rental). See the full announcement here.
Ascendis Medical’s FY 21 revenue was R983m but bottom-line expectations vary given Ascendis’ neglect of the businesses.

Trading Update: Growth in NAV Better than Expected

Sabvest expects its FY 21 Net Asset Value (NAV) to be more than +19%y/y (>8858cps) while also hiking its dividend >80%.

Valuation*, 12m TP* & Implied Return*: Awaiting FY 21 Results

We have left our fair value (6826cps*) & 12m TP (8000cps*) unchanged & will update these after the FY 21 results. Given the trading update, though, we expect to upgrade our views.
While we do not expect ARB Holdings to materially change Sabvest’s NAV in the short-term, in the long-term the Group is an excellent, cash-generative & well-positioned business that is likely to contribute positively to NAV growth. Likewise with Ascendis Medical’s optionality. Perhaps, more subtly, these new investments further entrench Sabvest as a unique listed entry-point into a portfolio of unlisted companies.
See H1:21 Results Note & our Initiation for more background.

* Under review until post-FY 21 results

Share Code: ARH – Market Cap: R1.8bn – PE: 9.3x – DY: 4.3%

Offer to Minorities & Proposed Delisting

A company owned by Masimong (50.1%-shareholding) and Sabvest (49.9%) has made an offer to minority shareholders (other than the Burke Family that collectively holds 62.9% of ARB’s shares) to acquire their shares for cash of 800cps.
If the scheme is approved by shareholders (75% vote is required) & goes ahead, ARB will also be delisted from the JSE.
Besides the usual conditions/clauses & the approvals needed, the scheme currently has irrevocable support of 69.41% of shareholders (that can vote at the scheme meeting, i.e. “disinterested shareholders”) and, thus, we view it as highly-likely that this transaction successfully conclude.
See the full announcement here: LINK.

Previously Published Valuation: Justifies Offer Price

In our previously published FY 21 results piece, we saw fair value as 654cps on a Price Earnings (PE) of c.7.9x, which is hardly demanding given the quality of the underlying businesses and did imply some upside risk to this view.
Our EV/EBITDA-implied fair value of 740cps adds weight to this view of fair value and its upside risk.

Our Thoughts: Fair Premium & Well-supported Offer

Given our view of ARB’s fair value, the 800cps offer price for minorities comes in at a c.22% premium to this (not counting the even larger premium against the pre-offer share price).
The offer is pricing a material minority stake. The Burke family will remain in control post-delisting and, thus, this offer should not include a classical “control premium” as control is not, in fact, being acquired. Thus, we consider this offer price to be quite fair and, likely, attractive to minorities.
This view is backed up by the large number of irrevocables secured (including institutional investors and former insiders). These irrevocables (totalling c.69.41% of shares able to vote on this deal) furthermore imply the likelihood of this deal successfully concluding as quite probable.