PETALING JAYA: Analysts view Vstecs Bhd
’s proposed disposal of its entire 40% equity interest in Isatec Sdn Bhd for RM48.75mil as a positive move for the company.
UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) Research in a report noted that while VSTECS is giving up a profitable associate, it said the transaction crystallises its investment at a reasonable valuation and provides additional funding for its faster-growing core businesses.
“Information and communications technology (ICT) services and enterprise systems grew 43% and 30%, respectively, in financial year 2025 and remained key beneficiaries of digitalisation, data centre build-out and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure demand,” it added.
“Both segments are project-based and require relatively higher working capital, making incremental funding particularly relevant as project sizes scale up.”
The research house said it sees the disposal as a strategic shift towards concentrating capital on wholly owned businesses, where management has greater control over resource allocation and could strengthen VSTECS’ recurring earnings growth.
VSTECS announced earlier this week that it is disposing of Isatec to Skyform Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based AI and digital transformation firm.
VSTECS chief executive officer J H Soong said the disposal, coupled with the dividends received from Isatec, will give the company realised total cash returns of RM64.67mil, which is about 3.46 times its original investment cost.
“Our investment in Isatec was originally intended to strengthen the group’s ICT services segment.
“Since then, we have also built and significantly expanded our in-house ICT services capabilities, with segment revenue increasing more than tenfold since 2018,” he said in a statement.
“We believe the investment has achieved its original strategic objectives, and it is now time to redeploy the capital into our wholly owned core businesses, which continue to experience robust growth.”
He added that the disposal proceeds will go mainly towards working capital to support the expansion of the company’s core businesses in ICT distribution, enterprise systems and ICT services.
UOBKH Research said RM48.75mil disposal consideration represents a 159% premium to its original investment cost of RM18.8mil in 2019.
“Together with RM16.2mil in cumulative dividends received since its investment in 2019, total cash returns would reach RM65mil, or 3.5 times its original investment cost over the seven-year holding period.”
