Time to re-look this counter. Despite rather challenging outlook, I believe the share prices had reflected the low valuation. Any major correction is unlikely. Poh Huat managed to record another historical quarterly (and yearly) sales and profits in its latest 4th quarter reports. Cash and short term investments per share has achieved more than 90sen (take note : the company has no bank borrowings; lease liabilities are merely meaningless accounting entries). However, i really can't quantity its upside as general furniture industry valuation remain low.
I am Wondering why such a excellent company like Poh Huat share price cannot up. Poh Huat with PE 4.5, net cash 249mil (RM0.89/share at current price of RM1.37), NTA RM1.97 above current share price, ROE 15.34, dividend yield over 4%. From past records, Poh Huat has bonus issue every 6 years, I expected another bonus issue soon.
Breaking news: Poh Huat Vietnam plant has started increasing capacity to meet resume increase order from United Stated after half year of low utilisation.
Poh Huat management start the recruitment after improving order after headcount recruitment freeze after nearly half year. This is align with the improve order.
IB like Public bank doesn't know how to value POHUAT. In March 23, its TP is 1.50. In June 23, it lowered its TP to 1.16, which is just silly, when Net cash+ST investment holding is worth 1.04. Nevertheless, thanks to IB, we are able to collect POHUAT on the cheap, where its investment thesis is a bit better than "FD+". Short term, POHUAT returns should be lower than EPF, but in the medium term, one day, the stock price should rise and give better returns than EPF over the next 3-5 years. Currently, stock unlike to rise fast, because: (1) Management is ultra conservative with its dividend policy and the way it runs its business, prefering to conserve cash, despite cash growing to record levels, and (2) Management anticipates soft market for its revenue in medium term (which is likely to be conservative). So, if you have extra funds (like my portfolio profits) to park at rates better than FD, then, POHUAT is a safe choice. Long term dividend is probably around 7-8 sen, so, at 7 sen, the annual Dividend Yield is solid 5.3%. Even at 1.33 current price, it is still an "Accumulate" in my book if one doesn't have an exposure, but must have 5 year out look at the least to earn higher than 5.3%. Short term like FYE2023, I think POHUAT will show the lowest earnings in past 8 years and so, DPS may drop to say 5 sen, hence, short term I think we will see a very conservative Dividend Yield by Management notwitstanding record level Net Cash, but should still beat FD rates.
Here's a history of POHUAT Net Cash: 2015: 37m 2016: 43m 2017: 71m 2018: 71m 2019: 120m 2020: 199m 2021: 146m 2022: 249m 2023Q3: 288m.
IB can suppress price as much as they like, but eventually, that Net Cash is going to keep growing i.e. the yearly dividend of 5-8 sen should be extremely safe in the longer term.
The furniture business (home and office) is a solid one. They make money every year. Mr Market has been sleeping but one day, it's going to wake up. Even if it continues to sleep for next 5 years, we get FD+ returns and if 8 sen dividend, EPF returns and the downside is extremely limited long term, but the upside, despite Mr market tendency to sleep for years, will one day wake up and reward us with higher returns.
Personally, I would not rush in to collect, because I think this year's EPS will look bad, potentially showing its worst EPS. So, looking forward to next 6 months, I think there's good chance for price to drop, hence, I would layer my entry if I didn't have any exposure. Just add at successively lower price. Simple investment thesis.
So, in summary, I don't like this stock for 3 reasons: 1. I expect 2023FYE to report a low EPS, possibly record low EPS - it's going to cause a lot of people to feel pessimistic. 2. Volatile Net cash - typo, 2020 Net Cash is 182m. So, 2021, its Net Cash dropped quite a lot, from 182m down to 146m. Hence Net cash is not enough reason to invest, as Net Cash can drop. 3. Perpetually conservative company. Waiting for the company to become more realistic might never happen, hence, not good enough reason. Need catalysts to unlock this. The MSWG is still not asking the right questions, allowing Management to get away with being ultra conservative.
Disclaimer: Some of my figures mentioned might have some minor typo errors, so, do your own diligence, if you are worried about figures that are more accurate. However, the big picture conclusions (based on 1 or 2 significant figures) should remain unchanged. Buffett always say - the best investment thesis should jump out to you. This one doesn't, but its safety jumps up to me as there's massive margin of safety. Still, I would keep this stock as a small % of my portfolio, probably not larger than 4% ever.
In case you're wondering what happened to the huge drop in Net Cash at FYE2021, I note that its Inventory rose from 93m to 127m. But a year later, inventory drop from 127m to 84m, boosting its cash balances substantially. So, this company requires one to hold at least a 2 year view. So, things will be worse in the coming months, but if you have a long term view and trust its management to boost business value, eventually, odds are good you'll be alright. However, not many investors are really that patient as returns will get worse first, AND, when it recovers is UNCERTAIN.
I'm coming across this name for the first time. Can i check with fellow investors out there, has this company conducted share buybacks+cancellations in the past before?
The furniture sector shines as a bastion of stability, driven by consistent demand, diverse customer base, home improvement trends, e-commerce growth, innovation, and the inherent value of long-term investments. As consumers continue to prioritize comfort, functionality, and aesthetics in their living spaces, the furniture sector is poised to remain resilient and thrive in the years to come.
POHUAT closed highest for the week (1.51) since last swing high in May 2022. Enough to edge my portfolio to make new all time high again today. Thank-you Mr Market!
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
zen_2k
617 posts
Posted by zen_2k > 2022-12-30 17:47 | Report Abuse
Agreed hopefully market will notice its value, especially with US homebuilder market not as gloomy as it is following recent news