KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Kenanga Research has upgraded CTOS Digital Bhd to "outperform" (OP) at RM1.52 with a higher target price (TP) of RM2 (from RM1.85) and said the company’s 1QFY22 normalised PATAMI of RM16.9 million (+3% y-o-y) and interim dividend of 0.32 sen are both deemed to be within expectations.

In a note on Monday (April 25), the research house said it anticipates progressively healthier earnings in the coming quarters fuelled by both organic and inorganic growth in the company’s credit information and analytics solutions divisions.

“Following the recent share price weakness, we believe current levels present a buying opportunity.

Kenanga said CTOS is likely to continue benefiting from the increasing demand for credit information checks and analytics capabilities.

“We believe demand for such services will only increase as a consequence of economic recovery and lending needs,” it said.

The research house said the recent acquisition of stake in RAM Holdings, BOL and JurisTech is poised to deliver inorganic growth while still staying true to the firm’s core business line.

“The ongoing integration of JurisTech into the group could materialise into scalable end-to-end digital lending solutions.

“Upgrade to OP with a higher TP of RM2 (from RM1.85),” it said.