Saturday, January 05, 2008

Sundaram Finance offers Value amidst an Over-valued financial services pack

Financial services companies (non-banking) have done very well on the bourses in recent weeks. Most companies in this space are quoting at price-to-earnings multiples of over 40+ and five times their book values. Consider the following:

- Reliance Capital: Consolidated P/E - 63.2 times
- India Infoline: 115.4 times
- JM Financials: 70 times
- IL&FS: 44 times
- Indiabulls Financial Services: 32 times
- Motilal Oswal: 50 times
- Edelweiss Capital: 100 times
-----------------------------------
- Industry P/E: 66 times

There is one company which is currently available at a significant discount to its listed peers - Sundaram Finance Ltd.

SFL reported a Consolidated PAT of Rs.140 crore for the year ended 31st March 2007. On a 12 month trailing basis, my estimate is that the company's earned a net profit of Rs.160 crore. At the current market price of Rs.837, the scrip is quoting at a P/E of less than 15 times. That too on a trailing basis.

SFL's primary business is hire purchase and lease financing of vehicles (commercial vehicles and passenger cars) and of industrial machinery.

The company also undertakes:

- bill discounting,
- commercial mortgage lending,
- mutual funds (thru Sundaram BNP Paribas AMC),
- home finance (Sundaram Home Finance, partly owned by BNP Paribas),
- general insurance (Royal Sundaram Alliance),
- logistics (infreight logistics),
- financial products distribution (Sundaram Finance Distribution), etc.


Addnl. Points / Counter points ???


Disclosure:
I have an open position in this stock in the portfolios that I manage.

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