Genting still an attractive betPETALING JAYA: Genting Bhd's current share price weakness represents an investment opportunity, said OSK Investment Bank, which is maintaining a "buy" call on the stock with a target price of RM10.55.
This is given the group's undemanding valuation compared with that of its global casino peers, it added.
"We see an opportunity to take advantage of the current share price weakness, as the group's fundamentals and future prospects remain intact," OSK said in a note yesterday.
Backed by higher income from the leisure and hospitality, plantation and power divisions, Genting posted a 26% jump in pre-tax profit to RM3.39bil for the year ended Dec 31, 2007 (FY07).
There were also one-off gains of RM1.1bil from the dilution of shareholding in Resorts World Bhd, Genting International Plc and Star Cruises Ltd (SCL) and RM337.1mil from a gain on disposal of investment in SCL.
On the leisure and hospitality division, OSK said casino patronage grew stronger than overall visitor arrivals, which led to significant growth in both VIP and grind revenue in excess of 30% and 10% respectively.
The group, it said, planned to sustain the growth momentum of its leisure and hospitality business by introducing more non-casino entertainment activities, including concerts; rolling out more electronic gaming machines; and offering cheaper hotel room packages.
OSK said the management would actively search for gaming acquisition opportunities in the region as it believed Resorts World should not confine itself to domestic operations.
It said companies that made excessive leverage during the period of low interest rates in the US from 2001 to 2003 might now come under tremendous pressure to de-leverage their balance sheet.
"This is especially so for casino property acquisitions by highly leveraged non-casino companies, which may now be plagued with rising interest costs and under-managed casino properties.
"Resorts World, with its cash-rich balance sheet and robust free cash flow generation, is well positioned to capitalise on such opportunities," the investment bank said.
Meanwhile, OSK said Genting's plantation division was a star performer, contributing 55.4% of the group's FY07 pre-tax profit.
Asiatic Development Bhd posted higher pre-tax profit and revenue for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2007 on the back of higher crude palm oil (CPO) prices, which averaged RM2,888 a tonne during the quarter and RM2,500 per tonne for FY07.
"Going forward, the management plans to lock in a greater portion of sales as the current forward CPO price of above RM3,200 per tonne is very attractive," it said.
OSK also noted that there were promising developments at Genting's three Indonesian oil fields at Anambas, North West Natuna and West Salawati, all of which are currently at the exploration stage.
Furthermore, 95%-owned Genting Oil and Gas Ltd is anticipated to see the generation of cash flow from the Indonesian Muturi production-sharing contract late this year.
OSK said when the unit sold its 45% stake in Muturi to BP Global Investments Ltd in 2001, it had retained long-term rights to a deferred share of future pre-tax monthly income from the production-sharing contract.
"We believe that contribution from the oil and gas (O&G) division could potentially rise by more than five-fold to RM212mil by FY2009/2010 as production in Muturi increases," it said.
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http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...64&sec=businessThis post has been edited by David83: Mar 4 2008, 06:48 PM