Vitec

Update to forecasts – Neutral

Vitec

Updating Forecasts – remain neutral

Interims okay, Lots to do in 2H

Vitec has reported interim results with revenue down 2.2% at constant FX at £184.2m and operating profit of £25.8m, broadly flat YoY with operating margin of 14%. PBT is down 4% reflecting increased debt levels but the interim dividend is up 7% to 12.3p. The outlook for 2019 is unchanged and with a significant 2H weighting and lacklustre market, we stay neutral

Small Cap Feast

Essensys plc—a provider of mission-critical SaaS platforms and on-demand cloud services to the high growth flexible workspace industry, plans to join AIM. £28m raised. Half primary, half shareholder sell down expected 29 May 2019. Mkt cap £72.6m. Issue price 151p. Induction Healthcare Group plc—a healthcare technology company focused on streamlining the delivery of care by Healthcare Professionals looking to join AIM. Expected raise of £14.58m at 115p, market cap of £34.07m. Expected 22 May 201

Updating forecasts for Amimon acquisition

We update our forecasts for the recent acquisitions of Amimon and Rycote. Our 2018 EPS forecasts remained broadly unchanged but with a good boost of 6% in 2019 as the benefits of Amimon come through. The deal makes strategic sense, providing some vertical integration and makes use of the Group’s strong cashflow and balance sheet, a key part of our investment thesis, while adding further organic growth potential so we maintain our buy rating.

Reorganisation Provides Platform for Growth

Vitec FY2017 results were slightly better than expectations on a continuing basis helped by new product launches, business mix and new acquisitions. The outlook statement points to confidence in further growth in 2018. We raise 2018E EPS by 10% to 83p (new consensus 82p), introduce 2019E EPS of 88.6p and maintain a buy rating.

Reorganisation and Re-Focus

Vitec will report FY17 results on 21 February. The Group has undergone a transition in the past year with the disposals of Haigh-Farr and Bexel, the acquisitions of JOBY, Lowepro and RT Motion and the restructuring of segments to better reflect the Group’s focus on addressing new customers and the independent content creator market. The results should give a further indication of how this transition is progressing. Commentary from the November trading update suggested some continuing recovery in

Strategic acquisitions

Earlier this year Vitec sold Haigh-Farr and Bexel for a combined consideration of £35.3m which improved the Group’s strategic focus and reduced debt, albeit with modest earnings dilution. Vitec has now redeployed most of this cash with the purchases of DayMen Group and RT Motion for a combined total cost of £27.1m. These businesses are an excellent strategic fit and are expected to contribute an incremental £7m to profits in 2019, leaving the shares attractively valued.

Positive Trading Update & Non Core Disposal

Ahead of its capital markets event, Vitec has provided a trading update for the year to date which reports that “the Board is encouraged with performance during the period from 1 January 2017 to 30 April 2017. Positive momentum has been maintained and we are performing slightly ahead of our expectations, principally due to continued organic sales growth and a further benefit from foreign exchange.”

Positive Trading Update

Vitec is an international group principally serving customers in the Broadcast (camera mounts, teleprompters, batteries, LED lighting, specialist cameras, wireless HD video transmitting solutions and HD on camera monitors) and Photographic markets (cameras tripods and heads, camera bags and LED lights). The Group typically has a number one or two market position in the specialised markets in which it operates.

CyanConnode (CYAN LN) - FY24 update: revenue materially ahead

CyanConnode exceeded FY24 revenue expectations and has high visibility into FY25, supported by strong deliveries and a growing backlog respectively.

Hybridan Research: Sector Review: Artificial intelligence in UK cybersecurity: the human uplift 17/04/2024

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BATM+ (BVC, House Stock at 18p) - New client Edgility contract

Thunderclap in British telecoms

FY23 revenues and EBITDA were in line with expectations. The major news was that BT plans to shed more than 40% of staff. At the end of the decade the EBITDA could reach £11bn with the massive restructuring announced and capex could return to €3.5bn per year. EBITDA less capex could be multiplied by 2.5 and therefore also the dividend. This could value BT at 385 pence at that time. We maintain our opinion at Add on the stock.

A fairly safe long term buy and hold

A decent Q1 performance despite the expected headwinds from cost-of-living pressure and cost inflation. The group is clearly a fairly safe long-term buy and hold. BT plans to shed more than 40% of staff by the end of the decade. In parallel it is further accelerating its FTTP deployment with high capex. But at the end of this phase EBITDA-capex could be multiplied by 2.5. Speculation could also again reignite as Drahi’s empire (owning 24.5% of BT) is being shaken by corruption cases.

Calnex Solutions - FY24 trading update – marking time

Calnex has released a pre-close trading update for the year to March 2024, indicating that revenue would be £16.3m, c£0.7m below our forecast, partly due to the timing of orders at the end of the period. Group trading has been impacted by the well-documented, continuing challenges in the Telecoms sector which have seen delayed project timings leading to corresponding delays in customer spending. Administrative costs are being controlled and are focussed on maintaining R&D. Calnex remains confide

Increasingly aggressive on the TV side

Q4 revenues were only up by 1.3% yoy (excluding the inclusion of EE for two months). A better performance than might be thought at first sight given the 8% decline recorded by the wholesale division (due to the benefit of ladder pricing revenue recognised last year). BT’s Fixed consumer revenues, 25% of BT’s business (excluding EE and Openreach) corresponding to BT’s own retail business, were up by 8% yoy with a 20% increase in broadband and TV revenue. Openreach revenue (28% of BT’s revenue not

Q1 in line with expectations

Q1 16 revenues declined by 2.6% yoy (excluding the contact centre business SNT Deutschland which was sold in Q1). Once again growing Consumer revenues were offset by the impact of the ongoing decline in size of the business market and lower revenues at iBasis. The EBITDA decreased by 4.5% yoy but this is due to temporarily higher IT-related costs in network and operations in the run-up to IT rationalisation. Note also an impairment charge related to iBasis for €45m. KPN intends to pay a regul

A mixed release

Q4 2015 revenues declined by 5.9% yoy (adjusted with a tax settlement benefit of €44m in Q4 2014). Growing Consumer revenues were offset by the impact of the ongoing decline of the business market size and lower revenues at iBasis. The EBITDA decreased however by only 0.7% yoy in Q4 2015 (without the tax settlement benefit in Q4 2014). These results are quite disappointing compared to the previous Q3 where revenues were down by only 2.6% yoy (vs -3.5% in H1) thanks to 3.7% growth on the co

A good newsflow

Q3 revenues and EBITDA were up by 3% yoy. Quite a good set of results for the new telco king of England (following the completion of EE’s acquisition). BT Fixed consumer revenues (25% of BT’s business not including Openreach sales corresponding to BT’s own retail business) were up by 11% yoy with a 23% increase in broadband and TV revenue. Openreach revenue (28% of BT’s revenue not including EE) was up by 3% yoy with record net fibre broadband additions of 494k, 32% higher than last year. There

Consolidating its market shares on the consumer side

Although Q1 revenues had decreased by 2.6% yoy while the EBITDA had declined slightly more by 4.5%, it was the opposite in Q2 with revenues down more than expected by 4.3% yoy but a better EBITDA down by only 1.7%. Once again, growing Consumer revenues were offset by the impact of the ongoing decline in the size of the business market. So, as in the two previous quarters, a mixed release.

Q1 in line but pressures are mounting for a separation of Openreach

BT group has released its Q1 numbers. But note, in parallel, another key point: two days ago Ofcom announced a half-step towards a separation between BT and Openreach (BT’s division which operates the fibre network). Q1 revenues were only up by 0.4% yoy (excluding EE). Like in the previous quarter, it is a better performance than might be thought at first sight given the 6% decline recorded by the wholesale division (due to the benefit of ladder pricing revenue recognised last year). BT’s Fixed

Rationalisation of the network is paying off

Quite a good Q3 for KPN: even if revenues, down by 3% yoy, are still suffering from the decline in the business market size (consumer revenues grew by 1.5% yoy), the EBITDA was good (growing by 3.4% yoy as it was down by 4.5% in Q1 and by 1.7% in Q2) driven by customer base growth and the positive impact of cost savings.

Q2 in line but £11bn of provisions for pensions at end September

Q2 revenues were up by 1.1% yoy excluding EE (vs +0.4% in Q1). Like in the previous quarter, this is a better performance than might be thought at first sight given the 5% decline recorded by the wholesale division (due to Partial Private Circuits customers continuing to migrate to newer Internet Protocol-based technologies). BT’s Fixed consumer revenues, 20% of BT’s business corresponding to BT’s own retail business, were up by 11% yoy with a 17% increase in broadband and TV revenue. Openreach’

£6.5bn of market cap goes up in smoke

BT previously announced on 27 October 2016 that an initial internal investigation of accounting practices in its Italian business had identified certain historical accounting errors and areas of management judgement requiring reassessment. At that time, they announced the write-down of items on the balance sheet by £145m, being the then best estimate of the financial impact of these issues. Since then, BT has progressed with the investigation, which has included an independent review by KPMG of