PETALING JAYA: SFP Tech Holdings Bhd
is on track to register back-to-back record profits for its fourth quarter (4Q) as well as its financial year 2022 (FY22) after recording a stellar performance in 3Q22.
The integrated engineering and automation solutions provider, listed on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market on June 20, reported a core net profit of RM8mil in 3Q22, which was an 11% increase quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q), bringing its nine-month profit to RM24mil.
Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research said SFP’s results came in above its expectations but within consensus, accounting for 78% and 75% of its and the consensus full-year forecasts, respectively.
“We believe the key variance against our estimates was mainly due to better-than-expected contributions from both of the group’s computer numerical control (CNC) machining and mechanical assembly segments,” HLIB Research said in a report.
SFP reported a net profit of RM17.6mil and RM19.4mil in its FY20 and FY21, respectively. Its net profit for the third quarter of FY22 was RM9.22mil, bringing the total for the first nine months of FY22 to RM24.4mil.
According to HLIB Research, the growth in SFP’s core net profit for 3Q22 was mainly attributed to its CNC machining segment, which saw its topline increase by 22% q-o-q and its mechanical assembly segment, which recorded a revenue increase of 111% q-o-q.
According to HLIB Research, SFP’s blended core net margins increased by 1.9 percentage points to 36.3% in 3Q22, as the CNC machining segment typically yields higher profit margins.
HLIB Research believes SFP is on track to register back-to-back record-high profits annually in FY22 through FY24.
This is attributed to the positive contribution from EST Exhibit Automation Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of SFP that deals with the provision of automation equipment solutions and the trading of spare parts.
Additionally, the research house noted the completion of SFP’s manufacturing Plant 3, which also boosts the group’s total current built-up area of 152,500 sq ft to 319,200 sq ft and will contribute to the record profits too.
It added that the extra 41 new CNC milling machines over the next three years would cumulatively increase the group’s maximum manufacturing production capacity by 25.3%, from 520,400 hours per year to 652,100 hours per year.
“After increasing our blended utilisation rate assumptions for its CNC machining segment, we raise our FY22, FY23, and FY24 estimates by 2%, 29%, and 17%, respectively,” HLIB Research said.
Despite maintaining a “hold” call on the stock, HLIB Research raised its target price on SFP to RM1.53 per share, pegged to a price-to-earnings multiple of 27 times its revised FY23 earnings forecast, from RM1.11 previously.
