Friday, 20 April 2012

KPJ (FV RM5.84 - BUY) Corporate News Flash: Heading For Miri


THE BUZZ
Yesterday, KPJ announced  on Bursa Malaysia that it has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Naim Land SB (NLSB)  to design, develop, build, complete and own  a purpose-built hospital building  in Miri, Sarawak  as well as operate this new hospital subsequently.

OUR TAKE
More on the JV. Under the JVA, KPJ will hold  a  70%  stake, with  NLSB holding the remaining 30% stake. Pursuant to the JVA, NLSB will  dispose of a piece of land measuring 4 acres in Kuala Baram Land District in Miri with   vacant  possession  given for  the  building  of  the  proposed  hospital,   while  KPJSB  will  provide  the  technical  and management services for the construction of the hospital building as well as assist the JV company in matters relating to the construction and completion of the  building. The  name  of the  proposed  hospital  will be  mutually  agreed on  by   both  parties in the future. We gather that the hospital will have a capacity of about 120 beds. While the total cost of setting up the proposed hospital was not disclosed, we believe that based on its bed capacity, the cost could  range  from  RM80m to RM100m.  Based on KPJ’s standard practice,  the proposed hospital will  most likely  commence operation with an initial capacity of between 60 and 90 beds.

Bigger footprint in East Malaysia.  Upon completion, the hospital will be KPJ’s 3rd hospital in Sarawak and its fifth in East Malaysia. We view the proposed JV positively as this move is in line with KPJ’s strategy to increase its presence in East Malaysia in light of this region’s underserved  market  and untapped potential for  private hospitals.  We gather there are currently several private hospitals in Miri but most of them are small in size. We think there is strong demand for private healthcare in Miri, which  has a population of about 300,000 and a vibrant economy that is underpinned by the oil and gas industry.  That said, given Miri’s  proximity to Brunei, there is  also  potential for the proposed hospital to treat patients from that country.

Maintain Buy.  We maintain our Buy recommendation on KPJ, at an unchanged  fair value  of RM5.84, based on  a FY12 PER of  23.1x. This  multiple is derived from the market cap-weighted average regional sector PER. We have always  viewed KPJ as a stock with a compelling growth story which is further reinforced by the fact that it is in a relatively  defensive sector.  As such, we reiterate our view that  the stock  makes an excellent long-term investment.

Source: OSK188

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