Euromoney’s FY17 results were as indicated at the year-end update, “perhaps a little better”, with FY18 having started on track. Our forecasts are broadly unchanged on these figures, adjusted for the disposal of Adhesion/WBWE. The strategic transition put in place over the last two years is driving stronger underlying growth, with ongoing recycling of capital into better businesses. The overhanging cloud remains MiFID II, which is deterring new business from asset managers. This should work its way through and meanwhile the pricing-based businesses are making good progress. Strong cash flow makes further acquisitions likely. The rating does not reflect the improving underlying earnings quality.
Euromoney Institutional Investor |
Pricing vs asset management |
Full year results |
Media |
29 November 2017 |
Share price performance
Business description
Next events
Analysts
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Euromoney’s FY17 results were as indicated at the year-end update, “perhaps a little better”, with FY18 having started on track. Our forecasts are broadly unchanged on these figures, adjusted for the disposal of Adhesion/WBWE. The strategic transition put in place over the last two years is driving stronger underlying growth, with ongoing recycling of capital into better businesses. The overhanging cloud remains MiFID II, which is deterring new business from asset managers. This should work its way through and meanwhile the pricing-based businesses are making good progress. Strong cash flow makes further acquisitions likely. The rating does not reflect the improving underlying earnings quality.
Year end |
Revenue (£m) |
PBT* |
EPS* |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
09/16 |
403.1 |
102.5 |
66.6 |
23.4 |
17.4 |
2.0 |
09/17 |
428.4 |
106.5 |
76.4 |
30.6 |
15.1 |
2.6 |
09/18e |
440.0 |
109.0 |
80.2 |
31.0 |
14.4 |
2.7 |
09/19e |
460.0 |
117.5 |
87.0 |
34.0 |
13.3 |
2.9 |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
Dealogic a logical deal
Euromoney has also announced that it is to sell on its minority stake in Dealogic for approximately $135m (retaining the use of required data). This was bought for €59.2m in November 2014, equivalent to a 32% pa return on capital uplift plus the profits that it has earned in the interim period - £3.9m at the pre-tax level in the year just ended. The disposal will be reflected in our figures once the deal completes. At the balance sheet date, the group categorised two businesses as held for sale (CEIC and EMIS), having been previously subject to strategic review. It is clear that there will be a meaningful reduction in net debt, with the intended CEIC and EMIS disposals putting the group back into a substantial net cash position. Holding cash at current interest rates would be earnings’ dilutive and we would anticipate that acquisitions are front of mind, although timing will always be uncertain.
Divergence of fortune between segments
Pricing, Data & Market Intelligence performed well with 5% underlying segmental revenue growth for the year (H117:+3%, H217:+7%), although planned investment resulted in operating profits down by 6%. In Asset Management the timing was reversed with underlying 1% H117 growth turning to a decline of 5% in H217. Renewal rates are holding up well. The shortfall is in new business as potential clients wait to see how MiFID II will affect their overall budgets. Operating profit improved, though, with reduced investment plans. These segments are dominated by subscription and content revenues, with attractive working capital profiles.
Valuation: Discount overdone
The group continues to trade at a discount to peers (see Outlook note), reflecting concerns over asset management exposure. We would argue that this is overdone, especially given the strong cash flow and higher payout ratio. A reverse DCF shows that the current price indicates either there is no potential for top-line growth or that margins slip from their current levels, both of which we feel are unlikely scenarios.
Outlook dependent on segmental balance
Management has been open about the current challenges facing its customers in the asset management sector, not just from MiFID II but from the shift away from active managed funds to passive. However, there are growing parts of the relevant pie, notably in alternative assets and in active specialties and these will obviously be the focus for investment within this sector.
Overall, the group’s book of subscription business (which represents sales rather than revenues and which represents around 60% of total revenue) stood in October at 18.1% higher than a year previously, but slightly below the 19.2% on which it ended the financial year. This is at reported £/US$ rates and currency will obviously be less of a tailwind this year. The underlying book of business at constant currency and netting off acquisitions was 0.8% ahead in October, a small improvement on the end-September number of +0.4%. However, this number masks a divergence between the business segments, with Pricing, Data & Market Intelligence up by 8.5% like-for-like, partially offset by Asset Management being down 5.9%.
Active portfolio management continues
The process of recycling capital continues, although the process is now one of divesting good businesses into better or more appropriate ones. There is very little left of the companies that were identified as being a drag on the group’s progress on the establishment of the strategy as set out a couple of years ago. The quadrant descriptions (see our Outlook note published on 12 October 2017) are constantly shifting with cyclical and structural changes to markets, so management deliberately does not define the proportions of revenue falling into each.
Since January 2016, the group has acquired six businesses, three falling in FY17, including RISI bought for $125m in April 2017. Seven businesses have been sold, with a further two, CEIC and EMIS now categorised as held for sale from having been under strategic review. The key themes for investment remain unaltered; management looks for opportunities in semi-opaque markets, where there is inefficiency, disruption and/or barriers to entry. With larger, high-profile deals generally on high multiples, the most attractive opportunities can be found from within other groups where they do not sit comfortably, rather than being subject to offers in the open market. Ideal candidates also fit within the ‘create once, sell many times’ arena.
As can be seen from the history and the modelling, Euromoney is inherently strongly cash generative, having only dipped below 100% cash conversion twice in the last 20 years. The effect is that despite the spend on the share buyback in the early weeks of the year and the substantial acquisition of RISI, net debt by end September had reduced to £155m (our forecast post-RISI was £164m). Edison’s model shows it reducing to £112m and £59m by end of FY18e and FY19e respectively.
NED board changes
The changed status of Euromoney with regard to DMGT is reflected in the change of the two DMGT representative NEDs, with Viscount Rothermere and Paul Zwillenberg stepping down to be replaced by Tim Collier, DMGT's chief financial officer and Kevin Beatty, CEO of dmg media and DMGT executive director. Separately, three new NEDs are being appointed, bringing in additional market and technical expertise to draw on. They are in addition to the seven already in place (to become six on the retirement of John Botts as chairman at the upcoming AGM). David Pritchard is to be acting chairman while a permanent incumbent is sought. Andrew Rashbass, CEO, and Colin Jones, FD, are the sole executive directors, with no news as yet on Colin’s successor ahead of his retirement by summer 2018.
Exhibit 1: Financial summary
£m |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018e |
2019e |
||
Year end 30 September |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
PROFIT & LOSS |
|||||||
Revenue |
|
|
403.4 |
403.1 |
428.4 |
440.0 |
460.0 |
Cost of Sales |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Gross Profit |
403.4 |
403.1 |
428.4 |
440.0 |
460.0 |
||
EBITDA |
|
|
109.4 |
104.3 |
110.3 |
117.6 |
126.5 |
Operating Profit (before amort. and except.) |
106.7 |
101.5 |
107.1 |
113.7 |
122.3 |
||
Intangible Amortisation |
(17.0) |
(16.8) |
(20.8) |
(20.6) |
(19.9) |
||
Exceptionals |
33.4 |
(37.3) |
(31.3) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Capital Appreciation Plan |
2.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Operating Profit before ass's & fin. except'ls |
123.1 |
47.4 |
55.1 |
93.1 |
102.4 |
||
Associates |
2.4 |
2.2 |
3.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Net Interest |
(1.3) |
(1.1) |
(4.0) |
(4.7) |
(4.8) |
||
Exceptional financials |
(0.9) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
|
|
107.8 |
102.5 |
106.5 |
109.0 |
117.5 |
Profit Before Tax (FRS 3) |
|
|
123.3 |
48.4 |
54.4 |
88.4 |
97.5 |
Tax |
(17.6) |
(18.1) |
(19.8) |
(22.3) |
(23.5) |
||
Profit After Tax (norm) |
90.2 |
84.5 |
86.6 |
86.7 |
94.0 |
||
Profit After Tax (FRS 3) |
108.2 |
30.4 |
34.6 |
66.1 |
74.0 |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
126.4 |
126.5 |
112.5 |
107.3 |
107.3 |
||
EPS - normalised (p) |
|
|
70.1 |
66.6 |
76.4 |
80.2 |
87.0 |
EPS - (IFRS) (p) |
|
|
83.5 |
23.8 |
30.3 |
61.1 |
68.5 |
Dividend per share (p) |
23.4 |
23.4 |
30.6 |
31.0 |
34.0 |
||
EBITDA Margin (%) |
27.1 |
25.9 |
25.8 |
26.7 |
27.5 |
||
Operating Margin (before GW and except.) (%) |
26.5 |
25.2 |
25.0 |
25.9 |
26.6 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
|||||||
Fixed Assets |
|
|
579.1 |
601.9 |
648.8 |
610.5 |
589.9 |
Intangible Assets |
531.4 |
551.1 |
594.0 |
560.1 |
538.8 |
||
Tangible Assets |
9.5 |
14.9 |
24.4 |
20.1 |
20.7 |
||
Investments |
38.3 |
35.9 |
30.4 |
30.4 |
30.4 |
||
Current Assets |
|
|
110.1 |
170.3 |
127.8 |
151.1 |
206.8 |
Stocks |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Debtors |
83.7 |
78.6 |
64.5 |
70.4 |
73.6 |
||
Cash |
18.7 |
84.2 |
4.4 |
22.2 |
74.7 |
||
Other |
7.7 |
7.5 |
58.9 |
58.5 |
58.5 |
||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
(210.8) |
(249.4) |
(267.5) |
(241.5) |
(251.8) |
Creditors |
(209.8) |
(249.0) |
(267.5) |
(241.5) |
(251.8) |
||
Short term borrowings |
(1.0) |
(0.4) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
|
|
(33.2) |
(45.3) |
(212.3) |
(218.4) |
(178.4) |
Long term borrowings |
0.0 |
0.0 |
(168.9) |
(134.0) |
(133.9) |
||
Other long term liabilities |
(33.2) |
(45.3) |
(43.4) |
(84.4) |
(44.4) |
||
Net Assets |
|
|
445.2 |
477.5 |
296.8 |
301.7 |
366.5 |
CASH FLOW |
|||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
|
|
109.5 |
103.8 |
118.2 |
106.4 |
123.3 |
Net Interest |
(1.1) |
(0.4) |
(1.5) |
(4.5) |
(4.6) |
||
Tax |
(13.7) |
(16.7) |
(21.8) |
(19.7) |
(20.7) |
||
Capex |
9.4 |
(3.2) |
(10.9) |
7.5 |
(4.8) |
||
Acquisitions/disposals |
(15.6) |
(3.8) |
(99.9) |
(12.5) |
(3.0) |
||
Equity Financing / Other |
(4.4) |
10.6 |
(193.0) |
(0.0) |
0.0 |
||
Dividends |
(29.4) |
(29.9) |
(31.3) |
(34.3) |
(37.6) |
||
Net Cash Flow |
54.6 |
60.3 |
(240.2) |
42.9 |
52.6 |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
|
|
37.6 |
(17.7) |
(83.8) |
154.6 |
111.8 |
Redemption of pref |
0.0 |
7.8 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other |
0.7 |
(2.0) |
1.8 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Closing net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(17.7) |
(83.8) |
154.6 |
111.8 |
59.2 |
Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research
|
|
Research: Investment Companies
HarbourVest Global Private Equity (HVPE) is celebrating 10 years since its launch in December 2007. Over the period since its inception to end-October 2017, HVPE has outperformed global equity markets and its listed private equity peer group, represented by the LPX 50 index, in both NAV and share price terms. In this note, we analyse a series of alternative performance measures which show that, on a risk-adjusted basis, HVPE’s share price performance has tended to compare favourably to global equity markets, while its risk-adjusted NAV returns have also compared positively to its listed private equity peer group over most time periods.