ARB Holdings – Good Story in a Tough Market

Initiation of Coverage – Share Code: ARH – Market Cap: R1.4bn – PE: 12.7x – DY: 2.2%

Download the full ARB Holdings Initiation of Coverage Report Here

Business Overview: Market, Store and Product Expansion

  • ARB has built a scalable electrical products distribution and wholesaling business off the back of a core cable product supply with key growth drivers being the expansion in product lines, movement into new territories, markets and industries and selected strategic bolt-on acquisitions.
  • The Electrical Division is predominantly a wholesaler of cables, overhead lines and related electrical components in Southern Africa.
  • In mid-FY 12 ARB Holdings acquired a 60%-stake in Eurolux (Pty) Ltd, a fast growing importer and distributor of light fittings, lamps and ancillary electrical products.
  • The Group Services segment includes the strategic and operational activities as well as holding the underlying property portfolio of the Group with a book value of R163m.

Key Issues: Macro-economic Variables Worrying

  • With many frothy indicators, the construction, building and related market in South Africa has many short-term downside risks including the current labour environment, the rising interest rate cycle and the upcoming elections.
  • Despite this, South Africa’s infrastructure needs are significant as encapsulated in the National Development Plan (budgeted c.R827bn spend) and the building materials market stands to benefit handsomely from this (eventual) roll-out.

Forecast, Valuation and Implied Return: Attractively Priced

  • Our fair value for ARH is 622cps on a PE of 13.5x. Rolling this forward at our Cost of Equity (CoE), we arrive at a 12 month Target Price (TP) of 727cps on an Exit PE of 12.7x implying a return of 21% from the current levels.
  • The two key risks to our above valuation methodologies are (1) the major macro-economic variables in South Africa (noted above), and (2) the timing and successful implementation of ARB’s product, store and market expansion drive (including any potential future acquisitions).

Download the full ARB Holdings Initiation of Coverage Report Here

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See our methodology here and note our disclaimer here.