GuocoLeisure (GLL SP) - DMG-Research:Let our expertise work for

Company Update, 10 March 2014
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
Buy (Maintained)
Consumer Cyclical - Leisure & Entertainment
Market Cap: USD904m
Target Price:
Price:
SGD1.43
SGD0.84
Macro
Risks
Dawn Of a New Era
Growth
Value
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
Relative to Straits Times Index (RHS)
122
0.85
115
0.80
108
0.75
102
0.70
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
95
GLL is embarking on a hotel-operator model that will see it expanding
to 100 major cities by 2023. Its hotel division CEO, Michael DeNoma,
has an impressive record for value-creation in his previous
appointments, and we are positive on his execution capability. We
reduce our holding company discount from 30% to 20%. Maintain BUY,
with a higher TP of SGD1.43.
♦
New broom sweeps clean. Since Michael DeNoma came on board as
CEO of GLL’s hotel operations about two years ago, the group has
embarked on an overhaul of its business model, retrofitting its flagship
hotels to revitalise earnings while introducing new brands to serve niche
segments more effectively. Underpinning the overall strategy is a vision
to become a global hotel operator with a presence in 100 major cities by
2023.
♦
Capable CEO whose interest is aligned with shareholders’. Mr
DeNoma has a sound record in creating value in his previous capacity as
CEO of Standard Chartered Global Consumer Bank. With his experience
in brand-building coupled with GLL’s portfolio of prime hotel properties,
the shift towards an asset-light hotel management model will enhance
returns on capital as well as catalyse the stock’s re-rating. Notably, the
interests of Mr DeNoma and his top managers – who have received up
to 33m share options exercisable at SGD0.86 each - are aligned, and
there is now incentive to move the options deep into the money.
♦
Earnings on an upswing. London’s hospitality market is poised for
strong gains in 2014-15, with revpar (revenue per available room)
projected to grow 4-5% over 2014-15 as hoteliers regain pricing power,
spurred by rising corporate demand. As one of the largest hotel
operators in London, we expect GLL to benefit from the upswing. While
retrofitting cost will weigh on earnings in the current year, this will be
offset by interest savings from expiring high-cost mortgage bonds.
♦
Maintain BUY, with higher TP of SGD1.43. We are reducing our
holding company discount from 30% to 20% as the group makes the
transition to an earnings-driven model. GLL has defined hospitality as its
core business, while its non-core assets such as its Molokai property or
Bass Straits Royalty may be divested at the right price, with the potential
proceeds re-invested in its hospitality business.
Jan-14
0.90
Nov-13
128
Sep-13
0.95
Jul-13
135
May-13
1.00
Mar-13
Vol m
Price Close
Source: Bloomberg
Avg Turnover (SGD/USD)
Cons. Upside (%)
Upside (%)
52-wk Price low/high (SGD)
Free float (%)
Shareholders (%)
Hong Leong Malaysia Bhd
0.63m/0.50m
48.8
19.8
0.73 - 0.96
33
66.6
Shariah compliant
Forecasts and Valuations
Dec-09
Dec-10
Dec-11
Dec-12
Dec-13
Total turnover (USDm)
350.6
331.1
391.1
369.8
380.3
Recurring net profit (USDm)
67.40
49.50
80.60
77.00
Recurring net profit growth (%)
18.87
(26.56)
62.83
(4.47)
Core EPS (USD) cents
44.00
(42.86)
5.10
3.70
6.10
5.90
3.30
Goh Han Peng +65 6232 3893
Core EPS growth
21.43
(27.45)
64.86
(3.28)
(44.07)
[email protected]
DPS (USD) cents
0.01
0.01
0.02
0.02
0.02
Dividend Yield (%)
3.01
1.81
1.81
2.41
2.41
12.86
17.72
10.75
11.11
19.87
Edison Chen +65 6232 3892
[email protected]
Core P/E (x)
Return on average equity (%)
P/B(x)
EV/EBITDA(x)
Net debt to equity (%)
6.3
5.0
7.7
6.9
3.9
0.87
0.90
0.79
0.78
0.78
13.9
13.1
8.9
9.4
10.6
48.50
40.87
36.18
31.61
29.75
Source: Company data
See important disclosures at the end of this report
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1
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
London’s hospitality market booms
2014 to be record year for London hotels. Macro-economic factors such as
increasing corporate spending (the Global Business Travel Association forecasts that
corporate travel will grow 3.7% this year) appears to suggest growth in demand from
the higher paying corporate segments of the demand base. PwC expects 2014 to be
a record year for London hotels, with revpAR rising 3.8% to GBP117.1, while data
from advisory firm BDO affirms the trend, showing that London hotels ended 2013
with an upward trajectory in December, with room yield rising 5.9% y-o-y to
GBP95.44.
Figure 1: London and UK regional 2012 & 2013 monthly average daily room yield per available room
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Mar
Apr
May
2012 UK Regional hotels (GBP)
Jun
Jul
Aug
2013 UK Regional hotels (GBP)
Sep
Oct
2012 London hotels (GBP)
Nov
Dec
2013 London hotels (GBP)
Source: BDO United Kingdom
Figure 2: London, provinces and UK RevPar forecast trends
140.00
6.00%
5.00%
120.00
4.00%
100.00
3.00%
80.00
2.00%
60.00
1.00%
0.00%
40.00
-1.00%
20.00
-2.00%
0.00
-3.00%
2013
2014F
2015F
2013
London
2014F
2015F
Provinces
RevPAR (GPB)
2013
2014F
2015F
UK
y-o-y growth rate (RHS)
Source: PwC
See important disclosures at the end of this report
2
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
Transforming into a global hotel operator
A fresh start. CEO Mike DeNoma’s entry into GLL marked a new strategic direction
for the company, as well as the introduction of a different operating model. Carrying
out extensive market research into what affects the decision-making of owners and
guests, GLL’s owner-operator strategy focuses on the 100 major global cities, with a
10-year ambition to deliver the best guest centred experience in the industry. With
thorough data building and collection, GLL will set out to transform the current model
by using data to differentiate the guest experience.
New entrepreneurial approach to unlock employee potential. The new business
model will provide an alternative to the current model for the hotel industry by giving
autonomy to its individual hotels. It puts a new layer of profit-accountable general
managers reporting to the hotel general manager, so that they become true hotel
general managers. It aims to move away from a hierarchical way of management that
gives GLL’s general managers more autonomy, thereby unlocking their full potential.
Offering flexible terms to property owners and developers. GLL offers more
flexible terms and conditions to property owners and developers, which challenges
the status quo and readdresses the risk/reward balance within the industry. Calling
for developers and property owners to join the company, some of the changes
include offering more flexible terms and conditions to property owners and
developers, such as shorter terms of agreement.
Free Wifi enhances customer loyalty. Building on BDRC Continental research that
hotel guests value free wifi as much as good night’s sleep, GLL has installed a total
of 2800 access points that provide guests with free Wifi at a click. According to the
company’s internal customer scoring system, this led to customer loyalty growing
by13% - an impressive achievement given the short period of time.
Launching luxury brand, Clermont. To date, GLL has launched two new brands.
Clermont, a luxury hotel and private residence brand, comprises: i) Clermont London,
the rebranded Royal Horseguards Hotel near Westminster and overlooking the River
Thames, due to open after renovations this year, ii) Clermont Singapore, part of
Tanjong Pagar Centre and Singapore’s tallest building, due to open in 2016, iii)
Clermont Kuala Lumpur, located Damansara City on prime freehold land in
Damansara Heights, due to open in 2016, and iv) Clermont Residence, luxury
residence apartment serviced by adjoining Clermont hotels in Singapore and Kuala
Lumpur (200 and 370 apartments respectively). The group is looking to launch 30
Clermont hotels over the next decade.
Figure 3: Details on Clermont hotels/residences
Source: GLL
Enter Amba, a new 4-star brand. After extensive research, GLL launched its
second brand, Amba, a contemporary 4-star hotel brand, which aims to address
unmet demand in the 4-star segment. This involves a rebranding of Guocoleisure’s
other four main hotels in London: i) the Tower Hotel near London Tower Bridge, ii)
Charing Cross in central London near Trafalgar Square, iii) the Cumberland
Hotel located on Oxford Street near Marble Arch, and iv) the Grosvenor in Victoria.
After undergoing major refurbishments, these hotels will relaunch as early as June.
Looking at a combination of great location, warmth hospitality and technology, Amba
See important disclosures at the end of this report
3
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
is targeting 30 key cities in the UK and will also expand internationally in China, the
US and Europe.
5 key London hotels to undergo refurbishment. The bulk of the value of GLL’s
hotel portfolio is concentrated in five key hotel properties located in prime locations in
London, namely: i) The Royal Horseguards Hotel (the rebranded Clermont London, ii)
the Tower Hotel, iii) Charing Cross, iv) the Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch,
and v) the Grosvenor in Victoria with 2,359 rooms. In February, the group embarked
on a major refurbishment of the five hotels. Although the cost of refurbishment as well
as re-branding initiatives will impact on the group’s 2H14 performance, we believe
that it is taking a necessary step towards improving the overall value of its hotel
properties.
Figure 4: GLL’s London hotels
Source: Company data, Bing
Multiple funding sources available. Financially, we believe that GLL’s ambitions
are well funded by several sources: i) internal funding – the current London hotels’
free cash flow coupled with the Bass Straits Loyalty provides the group with a steady
stream of cash, ii) potential sale of Molokai properties at the right price, and iii)
possible sale and lease back of three hotel properties pledged under a 2014
mortgage debenture stock. The 11% debenture stock will likely be separately funded
under a cheaper instrument.
See important disclosures at the end of this report
4
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
Aligning management interest with share price performance
In capable hands of an established brand builder. CEO Mike DeNoma has
considerable experience in transforming international businesses in several
industries. More importantly, he is an established brand builder. As the then CEO of
Standard Chartered’s Global Consumer Bank, he relaunched the group’s global
brand positioning, helping it to expand all over Asia, Africa and Middle East. Over a
7-year period, the group’s customer base tripled while the number of branches grew
by over 1000 to 1600, and revenues jumped by more than USD4.0bn. Looking at Mr
DeNoma’s “10 years, 100 cities” ambition, we can see the same happening for GLL.
Figure 5: CEO profile
Source: glh.
Share options align management interest with shareholders. With Michael
DeNoma and his team of managers having received up to 33m share options, the
interest of GLL’s management should be strongly aligned with those of its
shareholders (another 46m options were granted to other employees.) Upon
achieving their performance targets, the first tranche of 20% to 35% will be vested at
the end of FY15/16, and the second tranche of 65% to 80% at the end of FY18/19.
Currently, as GLL has acquired 62m shares to provide for those options, a dilution is
unlikely to be a concern. This means that the options, exercisable at SGD0.86, are
currently out of the money, and management will have the incentive to move them
into the money.
Figure 6: Options granted
*The expiry date for these options are further divided into three sections via a 40-40-20 ratio, exercisable within 6 months, 13 to
18 months and 25 to 30 months from the vestment date.
Source: HK Stock Exchange
Another privatisation offer possible? Malaysian tycoon and controlling
shareholder, Mr Quek Leng Chan, has been trying to take private the companies
under his control. While his offers have thus far been unsuccessful, what we would
like to highlight is the market response to his privatization offers. In his words, “it
(referring to the latest privatisation offer for Guoco Group) prompted the market to
recognize the intrinsic value of the company”. We note the previous offer in 2005 was
to take the company private at SGD1.25 per share, and suspect the possibility of
another offer being made in the near future.
See important disclosures at the end of this report
5
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
Figure 7: Quek Leng Chan’s offers to take private companies controlled by him
Second
First Privatisation
Offer
Privatisation Offer
HKD 88
HKD 100
Year of
Offer
2012
Price before
Privatisation
HKD 66
Hong Leong Capital Bhd (HLG:MK)
2013
MYR 1.42
MYR 1.71
Guoco Leisure Ltd (GLL:SP)
2005
-
SGD 1.25
Guoco Group Ltd (HLG:MK)
-
Latest
Price
HKD 94.4
Change in Price before Privatisation
and Latest Price
44%
MYR 10.9
668%
SGD 0.845
-
Source: Company data
Maintain BUY, with higher TP of SGD1.43. We have reduced our holding company
discount from 30% to 20% as the group makes the transition to an earnings-driven
model. GLL has defined hospitality as its core business, and its non-core assets such
as its Molokai property or Bass Straits Royalty, could be divested at the right price,
with the potential proceeds re-invested in its hospitality business.
Figure 8: SOP valuation
Components
USDm
SGDm
1,664.6
2,080.8
1.52
Bass Straits' NPV estimate
410.6
513.2
0.38
Molokai properties
202.0
252.5
0.18
56.3
68.7
0.05
(467.9)
-0.34
Hotel valuation
Clermont Leisure casino
Less: Group net debts
SOTP valuation
less 20% holding company discount
(383.5)
1,950.0
2,447.3
Per share (SGD)
1.79
-0.36
Fair value
1.43
Price
0.87
Source: RHB estimates
See important disclosures at the end of this report
6
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
SWOT Analysis
• Portfolio of hotels in iconic sites in London City; hardto-replace assets.
• A slow or low
growth macro
landscape could
crimp corporate
spending on
accommodation
• Exposure to oil and gas sector via BassStraits
Royalty Trust, without having to bear the attendant
exploration risks
• Cash-generative assets can support hotel expansion
• Unlocking hotel
value via a
separate listing
or setting up a
REIT
• Organic growth
through
management
contracts
• Upside from
Bass Straits
Royalty on
successful
drilling activities
• The conglomerate/investment holding structure may
subject it to a holding company discount
P/E (x) vs EPS growth
P/E (x) vs EPS growth
0%
PE (x) (lhs)
EPS growth (rhs)
Source: Company data, OSK-DMG estimates
Jan-12
Jan-11
Jan-10
Jan-09
0.0
Jan-08
5.0
-200%
6%
1
5%
0.8
4%
0.6
3%
0.4
2%
0.2
1%
0
0%
PB (x) (lhs)
Jan-12
10.0
1.2
Jan-11
200%
15.0
7%
Jan-10
20.0
1.4
Jan-09
400%
Jan-08
25.0
Return on equity (rhs)
Source: Company data, OSK-DMG estimates
Company Profile
GuocoLeisure - formerly known as BIL International - is the investment and hospitality arm of the Guoco Group. Its investment portfolio
comprises the Guoman/Thistle hotel chain, Bass Straits Oil Trust, and 55,000 acres of property in Molokai, Hawaii.
See important disclosures at the end of this report
7
GuocoLeisure (GLL SP)
10 March 2014
Recommendation Chart
Price Close
Recommendations & Target Price
0.78
0.9
NR
1.0
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
Buy
0.2
Mar-09
Neutral
Sell
Trading
Buy
Jun-10
Sep-11
Take Prof it
Not Rated
Dec-12
Source: OSK-DMG estimates, Bloomberg
Date
Recommendation
2012-06-14
Trading Buy
Target Price Price
0.78
0.59
Source : OSK-DMG estimates, Bloomberg
See important disclosures at the end of this report
8
RHB Guide to Investment Ratings
DMG & Partners Research Guide to Investment Ratings
Buy: Share price may exceed 10% over the next 12 months
Trading Buy: Share price may exceed 15% over the next 3 months, however longer-term outlook remains uncertain
Neutral: Share price may fall within the range of +/- 10% over the next 12 months
Take Profit: Target price has been attained. Look to accumulate at lower levels
Sell: Share price may fall by more than 10% over the next 12 months
Not Rated: Stock is not within regular research coverage
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This research is issued by DMG & Partners Research Pte Ltd and it is for general distribution only. It does not have any regard to the specific investment
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investments and consult an independent financial adviser before making any investments or entering into any transaction in relation to any securities or
investment instruments mentioned in this report.
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accept any responsibility or liability as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. Opinions and views expressed in this report are subject to change
without notice.
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As of 9 March 2014, DMG & Partners Securities Pte Ltd and its subsidiaries, including DMG & Partners Research Pte Ltd, do not have proprietary
positions in the subject companies, except for:
a)
As of 9 March 2014, none of the analysts who covered the stock in this report has an interest in the subject companies covered in this report, except for:
a) Goh Han Peng
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