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Research: TMT
TXT reported year-on-year revenue and EBITDA growth in Q118, with a particular boost to software licence sales. The change in the largest shareholder has prompted changes to the board, and is likely to mark the start of a series of acquisitions to accelerate the growth of the TXT Next business.
TXT e-solutions |
On the acquisition trail |
Q118 results |
Software & comp services |
16 May 2018 |
Share price performance
Business description
Next event
Analysts
TXT e-solutions is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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TXT reported year-on-year revenue and EBITDA growth in Q118, with a particular boost to software licence sales. The change in the largest shareholder has prompted changes to the board, and is likely to mark the start of a series of acquisitions to accelerate the growth of the TXT Next business.
Year end |
Revenue (€m) |
PBT* |
EPS* |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
12/16 |
33.1 |
4.0 |
0.27 |
0.30 |
45.8 |
2.4 |
12/17 |
35.9 |
3.0 |
0.19 |
1.00 |
66.8 |
8.1 |
12/18e |
39.1 |
3.0 |
0.19 |
0.16 |
66.9 |
1.3 |
12/19e |
41.9 |
3.5 |
0.22 |
0.17 |
57.6 |
1.4 |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
Q118 results: Making good progress
TXT reported 4.9% year-on-year revenue growth and 6.4% EBITDA growth in Q118. The EBITDA margin increased to 12.6% from 12.4% a year ago. With the adoption of IFRS 16 from the start of 2018, higher depreciation has resulted in a 14.9% decline in normalised EBIT. The company closed the quarter with net cash of €87.9m. We have revised our forecasts to reflect higher R&D and commercial costs in Q1, as well as higher than forecast gross margins. This results in a 10.2% increase in our FY18 normalised EPS forecast, and a 5.6% cut to our FY19 forecast.
Expect pick-up in M&A
Laserline, owned by Enrico Magni, recently acquired a 25.6% stake in the company from E-business Consulting. Mr Magni is keen to take an active role in the business and was recently appointed to TXT’s board. A €1 per share dividend was recently paid out, leaving the company with a large proportion of the proceeds from the TXT Retail disposal to invest in growing the company. The company expects to generate organic growth from the existing business combined with the acquisition of niche software and specialist engineering service providers to the aerospace and aviation, and banking and finance markets. Two acquisition targets are currently being evaluated.
Valuation: Factors in accretive acquisitions
On price-based valuation metrics, TXT continues to trade at a premium to peers as 60% of its market cap is made up by the net cash balance of €87.9m. Until the bulk of TXT’s cash is put to use on value-accretive acquisitions, we would expect the stock to trade at a significant premium to peers on a P/E basis. On an EV basis, TXT trades at a small premium to peers, with forecast EBITDA and EBIT margins slightly below the peer group average.
Review of Q118 results
Exhibit 1: Quarterly results highlights
€m |
Q117 |
Q118 |
y-o-y |
Revenues |
9.0 |
9.4 |
4.9% |
Licences & maintenance |
0.7 |
1.1 |
54.3% |
Services |
8.2 |
8.3 |
0.4% |
Gross margin |
44.8% |
45.1% |
0.2% |
EBITDA |
1.1 |
1.2 |
6.4% |
EBITDA margin |
12.4% |
12.6% |
0.2% |
Normalised EBIT |
1.0 |
0.9 |
(14.9%) |
Normalised EBIT margin |
11.4% |
9.2% |
(2.1%) |
Net income from continuing operations |
0.5 |
0.5 |
5.0% |
Discontinued operations |
0.1 |
0.0 |
(100.0%) |
Reported net income |
0.6 |
0.5 |
(15.0%) |
Net cash |
8.8 |
87.9 |
898.9% |
Source: TXT e-solutions
TXT reported a 4.9% y-o-y revenue increase, driven by a pick-up in software licensing, resulting in a 20bp expansion of the gross margin. Operating costs were essentially flat y-o-y, resulting in a 6.4% increase in EBITDA and a 20bp increase in EBITDA margin. As flagged the last time we wrote, the implementation of IFRS 16 for lease accounting from 1 January 2018 has resulted in a higher depreciation charge. The company incurred a tax rate of 30% on reported PBT and generated 5% growth in net income from continuing operations.
Changes to forecasts
The company expects organic revenue growth in Q218, with profitability in line with the same period a year ago due to higher investment in international sales and R&D. We have revised our forecasts to reflect Q118 results. We have increased our gross margin assumptions to more accurately reflect the levels achieved in recent quarters. We have increased operating costs to reflect the higher level of R&D and commercial costs in Q118. For FY18, the increase in gross profit outweighs the increase in opex, resulting in a 10.2% upgrade to our normalised EPS forecast. For FY19, the situation is reversed, resulting in a 5.6% cut to our normalised EPS forecast.
Exhibit 2: Changes to forecasts
FY18e old |
FY18e new |
change |
y-o-y |
FY19e old |
FY19e new |
change |
y-o-y |
|
Revenues (€m) |
39.2 |
39.1 |
(0.3%) |
9.0% |
42.1 |
41.9 |
(0.5%) |
7.1% |
Gross margin |
41.9% |
43.5% |
1.6% |
(0.1%) |
42.1% |
43.1% |
0.9% |
(0.4%) |
Gross profit |
16.4 |
17.0 |
3.4% |
8.7% |
17.7 |
18.0 |
1.7% |
6.2% |
EBITDA (€m) |
3.8 |
4.1 |
8.5% |
16.6% |
4.8 |
4.6 |
(3.4%) |
12.0% |
EBITDA margin |
9.7% |
10.6% |
0.9% |
0.7% |
11.4% |
11.0% |
(0.3%) |
0.5% |
Normalised EBIT (€m) |
2.6 |
2.9 |
10.8% |
(10.1%) |
3.6 |
3.4 |
(5.8%) |
17.3% |
Normalised EBIT margin |
6.6% |
7.3% |
0.7% |
(1.5%) |
8.5% |
8.0% |
(0.4%) |
0.7% |
Normalised net income (€m) |
2.0 |
2.2 |
10.2% |
(0.1%) |
2.7 |
2.5 |
(5.5%) |
16.5% |
Normalised EPS (€) |
0.17 |
0.19 |
10.2% |
(0.2%) |
0.23 |
0.22 |
(5.6%) |
16.2% |
Reported basic EPS (€) |
0.14 |
0.16 |
12.1% |
(97.3%) |
0.20 |
0.19 |
(6.3%) |
19.3% |
Net cash (€m) |
76.5 |
76.8 |
0.3% |
(12.0%) |
77.8 |
78.0 |
0.2% |
1.5% |
Dividend (€) |
0.16 |
0.16 |
0.0% |
(84.0%) |
0.17 |
0.17 |
0.0% |
6.3% |
Source: Edison Investment Research
Research: TMT
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