Brief Equities Bottom-Up: LG Electronics – Boost from Higher Dividends, Air Motion Technology, & The War Against Huawei and more

In this briefing:

1. LG Electronics – Boost from Higher Dividends, Air Motion Technology, & The War Against Huawei
2. Tesla. SEC Contempt Filing & Ludicrous Autopilot Claims Engulf Delusional Musk
3. Indonesia Property – In Search of the End of the Rainbow – Part 2 –  Bumi Serpong Damai (BSDE IJ)

1. LG Electronics – Boost from Higher Dividends, Air Motion Technology, & The War Against Huawei

• In this report, we provide an update on Lg Electronics (066570 KS), including the potential impact of the war on Huawei on the company, dividend policy, debt issue, sales of non-core assets, and the launch of new smartphones. 
• Although LG’s V50 ThinQ product is a bit disappointing, another new LG smartphone called G8ThinQ appears to be promising. This is one of the first smartphones to use “air motion” technology to activate some of the features including playing a song or video or adjusting volume (remember Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report)? The airmotion technology could bring back the “thrill” of using a smartphone. 
• Many investors around the world are asking, “What companies will benefit from the continued war on Huawei by the US government?” LG Electronics, the 7th largest smartphone maker globally, could be one of the key beneficiaries of the war on Huawei. 
• LG Electronics recently announced that it will pay DPS of 750 won for its common shareholders in 2018, which is nearly twice as high the DPS of 400 won in 2017. 

2. Tesla. SEC Contempt Filing & Ludicrous Autopilot Claims Engulf Delusional Musk

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requested a federal judge to hold Tesla CEO Elon Musk in contempt of court yesterday regarding recent misleading tweets about the company’s unit production volumes for 2019. This latest move comes not long after Musk bragged that he does not respect the SEC and that his tweets were not being censored by the Board according to the terms of the agreement reached with the SEC following his controversial “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured” tweet on August 8’th last.  

Separately, Musk has been talking up the capabilities of the company’s Autopilot technology, claiming that it will deliver “Full Self Driving” by the end of the year, that its in-house developed hardware is 2000% better than NVIDIA’s and that by the end of next year, it would be safe for somebody to fall asleep with Autopilot in control. We find these claims to be ludicrous and Elon Musk delusional in thinking that the SEC would stand idly by while he publicly admits to ignoring the terms of his settlement with them barely four months ago. 

3. Indonesia Property – In Search of the End of the Rainbow – Part 2 –  Bumi Serpong Damai (BSDE IJ)

In this series under Smartkarma Originals, CrossASEAN Research insight providers Angus Mackintosh and Jessica Irene seek to determine whether or not we are close to the end of the rainbow and to a period of outperformance for the property sector. Our end conclusions will be based on a series of company visits to the major listed property companies in Indonesia, conversations with local banks, property agents, and other relevant channel checks. 

The second company we explore is leading township developer Bumi Serpong Damai (BSDE IJ), with exposure ranging from landed housing, shophouses, condominiums, as well as the defensive and growing buffer of nearly 20% of revenues coming from recurrent rental income.

Bumi Serpong Damai (BSDE IJ) has one of the largest land banks of any developer, with a land bank of over 4,000 ha, more than half of which is in its flagship township of BSD City in Serpong.

Given its breadth of exposure to the property segment, the company has the flexibility to switch its exposure between different segments depending on the health of the overall market. 

Its projects are well connected by toll-roads and railway but it is well positioned to benefit from new infrastructure such as the new MRT, LRT, as well as new toll road extensions, which will enhance the attractiveness of its developments.  

Management suggests that they will take a cautious start to the year ahead of the election but see a window for a pick-up in marketing sales in May, with the potential for a much better 2H19. 

Despite a run-up in the share price since the start of the year, valuations do not look challenging from a historical basis especially looking at its PBV. It also trades at a significant discount to NAV of 67%, as well as being below its 5 yr historical mean on a forward PER basis.

Catalysts ahead include a post-election pick-up in activity leading to more project launches, completion of infrastructure projects, aggressive mortgage lending by the banks, and a more dovish interest rate outlook. Valuations are already attractive but a rise in property market activity should also lead to earnings upgrades, which if sustained, may lead to property prices moving upwards.