Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:26pm EDT
DBS Vickers downgraded vegetable processing firm China Minzhong Food Corp Ltd to 'hold' from 'buy' and cut its target price to S$0.60 from S$1.45, citing cost challenges, lower margins outlook and muted growth prospects.
By 0215 GMT, China Minzhong shares were 1.6 percent lower at S$0.60 and have fallen about 26 percent so far this year, compard to the FT ST China Index's 2.4 percent rise.
"The slower-than-expected flushing out of crops due to the winter delay in FY12 and persistently higher costs are likely to depress margins going forward," said DBS in a report.
It also noted that China Minzhong is now more focused on expanding industrial farmland instead of agricultural farmland, which means slower earnings growth as margins for processing vegetables are much lower than for cultivating vegetables, said DBS.
The brokerage said it expects China Minzhong's gross margins to decline to 35.3 percent in 2014 from 38 percent this year.
1019 (0219 GMT)
(Reporting by Charmian Kok in Singapore; charmian.kok@thomsonreuters.com)
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9:41 STOCKS NEWS SINGAPORE-IHH listing benefits ASEAN healthcare stocks-CIMB
IHH Healthcare's planned $2 billion listing in Malaysia and Singapore - the third largest initial public offering of the year globally - has brought interest back into healthcare stocks in Southeast Asia such as Singapore's Raffles Medical Group Ltd , CIMB said in a report.
Shares of Raffles Medical were up 0.9 percent at S$2.36, and have gained 11 percent so far this year, compared to the Thomson Reuters Asia Pacific and Russia Healthcare Index's 5.6 percent rise.
"Recent news flow pertaining to the dual listing of healthcare giant IHH Healthcare in Malaysia and Singapore has certainly brought interest back," said CIMB, adding company-specific news also helped.
Raffles Medical will benefit from hospital bed shortage in Singapore, which has a lower bed ratio lower than other developed countries at 2.22 beds per 1,000 people in 2010, CIMB said. It has an 'outperform' rating on the stock with a target price of S$2.69.
"With capacity constraints in public and other private hospitals, patient loads at Raffles Medical's flagship Raffles Hospital have been good," the brokerage said.
Raffles Medical is adding capacity at Raffles Hospital by increasing clinical services and specialist offerings, at a time when healthcare costs are rising.
Other healthcare stocks in the region include Thailand's Bumrungrad Hospital, which has surged 71 percent this year, and Malaysia's KPJ Healthcare, up 35 percent this year.
To read a related story, click
(Reporting by Charmian Kok in Singapore; charmian.kok@thomsonreuters.com)
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