China Sports: BUY; S$0.18;
Bloomberg Code: CSPORT SP
Bringing FIFA On Board
Price Target: S$0.35
CSPORT Signs On FIFA
China Sports (CSPORT) has signed an agreement with Global Brands Group to become the authorized exclusive distributor of official FIFA football lifestyle clothing and accessories throughout the PRC. Global Brands Group is the appointed worldwide exclusive master licensee by FIFA. FIFA has 4 segments of products, namely: (i) apparel (80% of revenue), (ii)headwear (5%), (iii) footballs (5%) and (iv) bags (10%), which complement CSPORT's main revenue source of footwear (c.60% of its 9M09 revenue). This would allow CSPORT to expand its product range as well as leverage on FIFA’s strong brand name.
FIFA has its own Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in China, so CSPORT would not need to spare any production capacity for FIFA products.Its main focus would be on the marketing and distribution of FIFA products in the PRC.
Impact
1. Increased store traffic. CSPORT will roll out FIFA Modular Stores(target: > 230) in the PRC over the next three years to distribute FIFA products. We understand that these modular stores will constitute a special section in CSPORT's existing Yeli specialty stores. In addition, prior to and during the 2010 World Cup, CSPORT will set up FIFA Official Event Stores temporarily in front of Yeli's stores. Both modular stores and eventstores would attract significantly more traffic to Yeli's stores.
2. Increased revenue and margins. The distribution of FIFA products will not only provide CSPORT with additional sources of revenue, but also improve the company’s overall margins. Based on the strong FIFA brand name,we expect that CSPORT's wholesale gross margin of FIFA products would range between 30% and 40%, much higher than its current 16% for 9M09.
3. Better brand image. The inclusion of FIFA products in Yeli's specialty stores and the association between CSPORT and FIFA would lift Yeli's brand image substantially.
Recommendation & Target Price
CSPORT will start building up the event stores from end Mar 2010, followed by the modular stores in 2H10, before opening FIFA specialty stores from end-2010. Considering the time needed to ramp-up, impact on the company's2010 earnings should not be significant. Hence, no change to our earnings estimates at the moment, while we await more specific targets as CSPORT works out the expansion plans with its distributors. Reiterate BUY, TP raised to S$0.35, based on 8x FY10 P/E. However, the deal’s overall positive impacts substantially brightens the company’s prospects and in our opinion warrants a higher target FY10 P/E from the previous 6x to 8x, which is in line with the average of its S-chip peers in the consumer goods sector.