GVC Holdings - A gaming powerhouse

GVC’s proposed acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral (LCL) will create a leading global multi-brand gaming business, with revenues of c £3.3bn. Completion is expected in late Q1/early Q218. 90% of the enlarged group’s revenues will be derived from locally regulated and/or taxed markets. As witnessed by the successful integration of bwin, GVC is well positioned to deliver material synergies and, regardless of the outcome of the triennial review, the company expects double-digit EPS accretion after the first year. GVC has reported consistently impressive results throughout 2017 and its shares trade appropriately towards the top end of the peer group, at 12.8x EV/EBITDA and 16.4x P/E for 2018e. We introduce new forecasts to reflect the disposal of the Turkish business.