Keywords Studios — Strengthening position in an attractive market

Keywords Studios (LN: KWS)

Last close As at 18/03/2024

2,920.00

50.00 (1.74%)

Market capitalisation

2,207m

More on this equity

Research: TMT

Keywords Studios — Strengthening position in an attractive market

Keywords has built an enviable position of strength, servicing a global games market expected to sustain 10% growth. Pockets of volatility, possibly related to the dramatic success of Fortnite create some near-term uncertainty, but we believe company’s strength of model and customer diversity will continue to enable the group to outgrow the games market in the medium to long term. At 36x FY19e earnings, strong growth is priced in, but continued execution should drive positive shareholder returns.

Analyst avatar placeholder

Written by

TMT

Keywords Studios

Strengthening position in an attractive market

Interim results

Software & comp services

26 September 2018

Price

1,930.0p

Market cap

£1,230m

€/£0.89; €/US$1.17

Net cash (€m) at end June 2018

0.1

Shares in issue

63.7m

Free float

87%

Code

KWS

Primary exchange

AIM

Secondary exchange

N/A

Share price performance

%

1m

3m

12m

Abs

(3.5)

11.1

50.2

Rel (local)

(2.6)

11.4

45.7

52-week high/low

2065.0p

1330.0p

Business description

Keywords Studios is now the largest and most diverse supplier of outsourced services to the games industry. Through regular acquisitions, the company is building its scale, geographic footprint and delivery capability. Its ambition is to become the ‘go-to’ supplier across the industry.

Next events

Trading update

December 2018

Analysts

Dan Ridsdale

+44 (0)20 3077 5729

Alasdair Young

+44 (0)20 3077 5758

Keywords Studios is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited

Keywords has built an enviable position of strength, servicing a global games market expected to sustain 10% growth. Pockets of volatility, possibly related to the dramatic success of Fortnite create some near-term uncertainty, but we believe company’s strength of model and customer diversity will continue to enable the group to outgrow the games market in the medium to long term. At 36x FY19e earnings, strong growth is priced in, but continued execution should drive positive shareholder returns.

Year end

Revenue (€m)

PBT*
(€m)

EPS*
(c)

DPS
(p)

P/E
(x)

Yield
(%)

12/16

96.6

14.9

20.3

1.3

105.7

0.07

12/17

151.4

23.0

29.9

1.5

71.6

0.08

12/18e

254.6

39.2

47.1

1.6

45.5

0.08

12/19e

300.2

46.8

57.7

1.8

37.2

0.09

Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.

Robust fundamentals, some near term uncertainty

Interim results were as flagged at the trading update, with revenues growing by 72% to €110m and PBT by 67% to €16m. Like-for-like revenue growth was 8.6% (constant currency) down from 17.2% last year, with pockets of volatility (possibly relating to the dramatic success of Fortnite) a potential dampening factor. Trading has been strong thus far in H2, but we implement a precautionary nudge down to our FY18 revenues to reflect this. Underlying earnings estimates are little changed, however, and we believe the company’s model strength and customer diversity will continue to allow it to outgrow the games market in the medium to long term.

Good progress with acquisitions

The integration and rationalisation of VMC has been executed ahead of schedule and H2 should see the margin benefit. In Gobo, we believe Keywords acquired a good asset, growing revenues at a strong double-digit rate at a good price. A strengthened cross-selling platform and greater scale are now enabling the company to invest in earlier-stage, IP-based business (eg Yokozuna Data or through the new Ventures operation) or acquire teams (Sound Lab). Despite this, we see no significant inflation in the average multiples paid for deals. With €75m of the €105m facility undrawn and a robustly cash-generative model, we estimate that the group has c €95m of firepower for acquisitions over the remainder of FY18 and FY19, and believe organic growth and M&A could potentially expand EPS to an 85c run rate exiting FY19, 80% above our current FY18 forecast.

Valuation: Sustained execution should drive returns

Keywords’ FY19e P/E of 37x is at a premium to peers. However, the business has established a strong leadership position in a highly attractive end-market, with a demonstrable model for generating strong EPS growth. Estimated CAGR sales, PBT and EPS growth figures for FY15–18 are 45%, 49% and 38%, respectively. Continued progress with organic growth and acquisitions could bring the P/E down to the mid-20s level exiting FY19 and with additional capital the company should continue on a similar trajectory after this. Continued execution should continue to drive positive returns for investors.

Strengthening position in an attractive market

Keywords has established a strong leadership in a games industry where growth has accelerated to a double-digit rate. Driven by increased outsourcing, the market for services providers in this industry should grow more rapidly than this and Keywords has the potential to grow more rapidly again, driven by market share gains and cross-selling. The group’s diversity across customers, geographies, games formats and service lines means it has a demonstrable ability to ride out the inevitable volatility, which regularly occurs in individual elements of this high growth, dynamic market.

The world’s favourite pastime

To set the overall context, the games industry continues to go from strength to strength. Market analyst Newzoo recently upgraded its 2017–21 growth forecast for the games industry to 10.3% from 7.4% previously, estimating that 2.3 billion gamers across the globe will spend $137.9bn on games in 2018. It estimates that if all playing and viewing hours are added up, gaming is the world’s favourite pastime.

The pace of change and innovation far exceeds any other consumer media. The mobile gaming market has grown in 10 years from a nascent, pre-smartphone industry to one worth $70bn. The eSports market has growth from below $100m in 2011 to an estimated $700m in 2017, and is expected to reach more than $2bn by 2023.

Exhibit 1: Global video game revenues

Exhibit 2: Global video game users

Source: Statista, June 2018. Note: €/US$0.90554

Source: Statista, June 2018

Exhibit 1: Global video game revenues

Source: Statista, June 2018. Note: €/US$0.90554

Exhibit 2: Global video game users

Source: Statista, June 2018

Trend to outsourcing an additional driver for service providers

Keywords estimates that the total market for services in this industry is worth c $6bn, of which around 50% is currently outsourced. Over time management believes that the industry may trend towards the TV or film models, where c 90% of production in outsourced. It is difficult to put a timescale on this trend, but if the overall industry sustains its 10% growth rate, we believe a mid-teens growth rate should be sustainable for the outsourced services market. (This would imply that 60% of all work is outsourced by 2021.) The accelerating rate of innovation and improving production values should also be supportive trends, in that they increase the direct cost of carrying out work in house in an inherently unpredictable industry. Management also comments that outsourcing decisions are increasingly being made at a strategic level as developers move away from vertically integrated structures, rather than in response to a capacity crunch. The company has not yet succeeded in converting its first strategic outsourcing deal (whereby a developer essentially outsources its development team to Keywords), but industry dynamics appear increasingly supportive and deal sizes could be significant ($10m+).

Some near-term uncertainty – the Fortnite effect?

While the pace of development and innovation in the industry brings inevitable patches of volatility, Keywords has a demonstrable ability to ride these transitions relatively well, benefiting from the strength of its model and revenue diversity.

We are going through one of these patches now, with the phenomenal rise of Fortnite Battle Royale, which has attracted 125 million players within one year of release. This success has likely expanded the overall market by bringing in new players to gaming and is estimated to have generated several hundred million dollars of revenues for Epic Games, its developer. Total sales of the game are estimated to be over $1bn (Superdata). Equally, some of Epic’s competitors will have inevitably felt the squeeze and we are seeing some signs of increased volatility in the market. Whilst not necessarily attributable to Fortnite’s success; Telltale games, developer of The Walking Dead abruptly ceased operations in late September, having reportedly failed to secure funding. Furthermore, Capcom, best known for the Dead Rising franchise has closed its Vancouver operation and is refocusing on developing games for Japan.

We understand that Keywords had limited revenue exposure to Fortnite in H1, meaning that the game’s success was a moderate headwind as competitors scale back development activity and reassess their options. The group has since won more Fortnite business, which will support trading in H2, but the recent closures discussed above do add a level of uncertainty to the near-term outlook. It is also worth highlighting that the games release schedule is particularly congested for Q418, resulting in speculation that some high profile launches may be pushed back.

Shift to a subscription revenue model

The games industry’s progression towards a recurring revenue model is expected to accelerate. Downloadable extensions and content have become important revenue generators for games publishers for some time. We are now seeing a more concerted shift towards a subscription pricing model, which some observers anticipate could have as fundamental an impact on the games industry as it did on the music industry.

Microsoft has taken a step in this direction by including the latest releases in the Xbox Game Pass and acquiring a number of development studios for exclusive rights on its latest titles, replicating Netflix’s strategy in video.

Games streaming becoming a reality: Opportunities for Keywords

Established players like Microsoft, NVidia (with GRID), and EA and start-ups (eg Parsec, GameStream) are developing cloud gaming/streaming solutions, which will allow games to be played over the internet with no or minimal client-side software. Improvements to technology, which reduce latency issues, and adoption of higher bandwidth, should support the roll-out of increasingly sophisticated games via this delivery mechanism.

We see this as a positive development for Keywords. The company is already is already benefiting from publishers’ increasing reliance on downloadable extensions and content, where outsourced suppliers are often used. Keywords is already working on interactive streaming content and porting games to upcoming streaming platforms, and the work involved in repurposing content for this new medium could provide an attractive new revenue stream for some time.

Acquisitions performing well

Keywords has made 21 acquisitions since the start of 2017, deploying c £120m of capital and close to 4m shares in doing so. This M&A activity has materially expanded the company’s delivery, with the expansion of the group’s engineering and customer support from start-up positions to established service lines the most notable development.

In customer support, the priority with VMC, the company’s largest acquisition to-date ($66m in October 2017) has been on stabilising revenues and releasing cost synergies through both headcount reduction and office consolidation. Implementation of the integration and cost reduction programme has been more rapid than initially expected, and it is now largely complete. (Initial guidance was £2.5m of cost synergies over two years.) The focus for the operation is now on resetting the business on a growth trajectory, supported by cross-selling across the wider platform, although our initial forecast of achieving 5% y-o-y growth for VMC in 2018 may now look a touch optimistic.

Exhibit 3: Revenue build by service line

Source: Company data, Edison Investment Research

In engineering, the M&A programme has grown the service line to 8% of revenue in H118 from a standing start in May 2017, with the acquisition of GameSim, followed by d3t and Sperasoft, in 2017. The run rate contribution will likely rise to the low-teens level with the acquisitions of Yokozuna Data, Snowed In, Studio Gobo and Electric Square since period end. We see a strong engineering capability as a key component in securing large, multidisciplinary contracts.

Announced with the results, the company acquired Trailer Farm (for £1m with a further £1m contingent on profit expansion), a Brighton, UK-based production company focused on creating trailers for the marketing and support of video games. This acquisition will complement the company’s recent Fire Without Smoke marketing services business.

The M&A programme means that Keywords now has a presence in most of the main service disciplines within the gaming supply chain, although with less than 5% of the total market, there remains plenty of scope for further consolidation. The market remains highly fragmented and Keywords is now the largest player by some margin. Management has highlighted art as a particular area of potential activity. It has focused on organic development of this service line in recent times following an acquisition spree in 2015/16 to establish the line, but now looks ready to resume acquisition activity.

Exhibit 4: Keywords service lines – across the development cycle

Source: Keywords Studios

Platform leverage key to team acquisitions and ventures

While historical acquisition activity has focused on acquiring relatively small but established businesses, the company’s strong platform and greater scale are now supporting smaller transactions, whereby the company brings in teams or technology with little or no ongoing revenues, instead relying on the company’s sales platform to drive revenues and a return on investment.

Sound Lab: the recruitment of this high-end audio team recruited from Technicolor was announced with the results. The team is led by a renowned sound designer, Scott Gershin and has provided audio production services to a number of high-profile games titles, as well as movies and box sets.

Yokozuna Data: in July the company made its long-mooted entry into games analytics with the acquisition of Yokozuna Data for $1.5m. Yokozuna has developed a range of self-learning, predictive analytic models drawing on AI and machine-learning technologies to improve the monetisation and the user experience of games. While pre-revenue, management believes there is the opportunity to generate scalable, operationally geared growth through cross-selling the solution into the group’s customer base.

Ventures: the company established Keywords Ventures in June to make modest investments in innovative companies or technologies that will benefit clients. The first investment, of up to €300, was in AppSecTest, creator of AS Analyser, a cloud-based testing solution for mobile apps, including games.

Larger, value acquisitions help absorb smaller technology ones

Keywords’ ability to successfully acquire good businesses at attractive multiples and then generate sales or (less often) cost synergies is clearly key to the investment case. We see no evidence that this ability is waning. While the company has paid slightly higher multiples for some smaller businesses in recent times, this is averaged down by the lower multiples paid for larger ones. We were particularly encouraged by the acquisition of Gobo in August, where at a maximum 7.6x historical EBITDA, the group appears to be buying a good asset at a very reasonable multiple. While the trailing PBT multiple for VMC (the company’s largest acquisition to date) was higher than average (11.3x), this was a turnaround situation and cost synergies will bring this in line with the group’s 8–9x average within 12 months.

Exhibit 5: Acquisition multiples (EV/PBT) versus acquisition size

Exhibit 6: Blended EV/PBT multiple of acquisitions by year

Source: Edison Investment Research. Note: Considerations include deferred consideration and share considerations converted at the time of acquisition.

Source: Edison Investment Research. Note: Considerations include deferred consideration and share considerations converted at the time of acquisition.

Exhibit 5: Acquisition multiples (EV/PBT) versus acquisition size

Source: Edison Investment Research. Note: Considerations include deferred consideration and share considerations converted at the time of acquisition.

Exhibit 6: Blended EV/PBT multiple of acquisitions by year

Source: Edison Investment Research. Note: Considerations include deferred consideration and share considerations converted at the time of acquisition.

Financial review: A year of two halves

Some uncertainty but pick up expected in H2

Interim results were as flagged at the trading update, with revenues growing by 72% to €110m and adjusted PBT growing by 67% to €16m. Like-for-like revenue growth was 8.6% on a constant currency basis, but the US$ weakness suppressed this to 2%. The drop in like-for-like growth rate from 17.2% for H117 can be attributed to a number of factors.

The company had limited exposure to Fortnite in H1, whereas some competitors appear to have felt the pinch. We understand that the company is working on Fortnite projects in H2.

The H118 figures included VMC, where the focus has been on integration and cost savings, with a return to growth anticipated in the near future. Excluding VMC, the like-for-like constant currency growth rate was 10%.

The peak trading period for a number of the ancillary service lines such as audio and localisation is in the summer. This year a more significant proportion of revenues fell into H2 than H1 versus previous years.

Trading in the art service line started slowly, but has since picked up markedly and current trading is described as strong.

There remains some uncertainty in the market, particularly with the recent high profile closures of Capcom Vancouver and Telltale Games. While not specific to Keywords, we nudge down our FY revenue estimate by €3m to factor in the potential for headwinds faced by the sector in the short term. Nevertheless, we still expect a pick-up in like-for-like growth in H2. Keywords will have already traded through the peak season for the seasonal ancillary lines and will have good visibility on the projects to be delivered in the final quarter of the year. Returning VMC to growth will clearly help, while Studio Gobo (acquired in August and therefore not included in the H1 l-f-l figure) is also said to be trading strongly. The c 5% strengthening of the dollar versus the euro will also help headline numbers if rates remain similar from here (47% of FY17 revenues were US$ denominated, which will increase with the full-year contribution from VMC and Sperasoft).

Margin: Scope for upside

Operating margins of 14.9% dropped from 15.6% in H2 last year, reflecting the muted sales performance and lower margins of VMC. A higher depreciation charge was also a factor, up by €1m to €2.47m, as a result of the VMC acquisition and facilities investment.

Our full year estimate implies a 15.9% operating margin in H2. Historically, H2 operating margins have been significantly higher in the seasonally stronger period (see Exhibit 7 and this year, H2 should benefit from the full period of cost savings at VMC and the contribution from Gobo (30% EBITDA margins pre-acquisition). This contrasts with an H217 in which operating margins absorbed VMC and still expanded by 40bp sequentially in H2.

Exhibit 7: Margin seasonality

Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research

Balance sheet/cash flow

Net cash stood at €0.1m at 30 June (€32.2m cash, €31.1m debt), down from €11.1m at year end. Cash outflows from acquisitions were €10.6m, while net cash inflow from operations was €4.0m (H117: £2.3m). The interim period is typically the trough for cash, with cash generation improving markedly in H2. This year we understand that a number of outstanding receivables came in shortly after period end, while Keywords should also benefit from the collection of accrued multimedia tax credits from previous years relating to the VMC acquisition (€14.7m on the balance sheet). With a revolving credit facility of €105 (at 1.5% above Euribor), Keywords retains plenty of firepower for future acquisitions.

Estimates

We implement a precautionary £3.2m nudge down to our FY18 revenues, reflecting the muted revenue growth in H1 and recent closures. This is offset slightly by the small Trailer Farm acquisition with trailing revenues of £1.0m (€0.9m) and adjusted EBITDA of £165k (€150k). Our underlying earnings estimates are not significantly changed, offset by higher H2 margins. (VMC rationalisation and Gobo).

Looking longer term, if the games industry continues growing at a 10%+ rate, as forecast, we see no reason why Keywords should not be able to sustain a low to mid-teens organic growth rate, boosted by the trend towards outsourcing and market share gains/cross-selling.

Exhibit 8: Estimate changes

€000s

2017

2018e

2019e

Old

New

Change (%)

Old

New

Change
(%)

Revenue

 

 

151,430

257,610

254,570

(1)

299,177

300,212

0

Cost of Sales

(96,345)

(165,311)

(160,361)

(3)

(192,355)

(190,439)

(1)

Gross Profit

55,085

92,300

94,208

2

106,823

109,772

3

EBITDA

 

 

26,645

44,210

44,539

1

53,545

53,911

1

Operating Profit (before amort. and except.) 

23,915

39,246

39,339

0

47,780

47,778

0

Profit Before Tax (norm)

 

 

23,043

37,849

39,196

4

45,509

46,843

3

Profit After Tax (norm)

18,312

30,355

31,435

4

36,862

37,943

3

EPS - normalised fully diluted (c)

 

 

29.9

49

47.1

(3)

56.0

57.7

3

EPS - (IFRS) (c)

 

 

12.4

33

33.0

(0)

44.9

46.6

4

Dividend per share (pence)

1.5

1.61

1.61

0

1.8

1.8

0

Closing net debt/(cash)

 

 

(11,094)

(4,840)

(3,742)

(23)

(14,823)

(9,774)

(34)

Source: Company data, Edison Investment Research

Exhibit 9: P&L model

FY15

FY16

FY17

FY18e

FY19e

Y/e revenue run rate

Annual run rate of in-year acquisitions

12.0

39.4

92.3

31.1

0.0

Group YE revenue run rate

62.6

111.7

224.5

269.7

300.2

Reported Revenues

Contribution from acquisitions in year

7.3

24.2

19.6

15.9

0.0

Revenues excl in year acquisitions

50.7

72.4

131.8

238.6

0.0

Reported revenues

58.0

96.6

151.4

254.6

300.2

Annual run rate of in year acquisitions

12.0

39.4

92.3

31.1

0.0

Group YE revenue run rate

62.6

111.7

224.5

269.7

300.2

Gross margin

37.6%

38.0%

36.4%

37.0%

36.6%

Total operating expenses

(13.6)

(21.6)

(31.2)

(54.9)

(62.0)

Operating expenses as a % of sales

23.5%

22.4%

20.6%

21.6%

20.7%

Adj operating income

8.2

15.1

23.9

39.3

47.8

Operating margin

14.1%

15.6%

15.8%

15.5%

15.9%

Interest

(0.3)

(0.3)

(0.9)

(0.1)

(0.9)

PBT

8.0

14.9

23.0

39.2

46.8

Tax

(1.8)

(3.2)

(4.7)

(7.8)

(8.9)

Tax rate

-22.9%

-21.7%

-20.5%

-19.8%

-19.0%

Adj net income

6.2

11.6

18.3

31.4

37.9

Ave diluted number of shares (m)

49.0

57.7

61.2

66.8

65.8

EPS FD

12.6

20.2

29.9

47.1

57.7

Source: Company data, Edison Investment Research

Acquisitions could nearly double EPS over the next 12 months

The figures above clearly only incorporate acquisitions made so far. While it is impossible to forecast future acquisitions with any accuracy, the earnings accretion driven by future acquisitions is clearly core to Keywords’ investment case.

In Exhibit 10 we examine the potential impact that further acquisition activity could make to EPS over the course of the next 12 months. We assume that the company deploys €95m of cash in acquisitions between now and the end of FY19 and that these acquisitions are two-thirds funded by cash and one-third by equity at 1,800p.

We point out that this analysis is for illustrative purposes and not a forecast. However, it does suggest that if Keywords can maintain a low double-digit organic revenue growth rate and continue making acquisitions at a similar scale to FY16/17 at a 7–10x PBT level, the group’s EPS exiting FY19 could reasonably reach 85c+, 45% above our current FY19 EPS estimate. With additional capital from equity and in line with the company’s acquisitive strategy, the cycle could then repeat into FY20 and beyond.

Exhibit 10: Scenario analysis – EPS run rate exiting FY19based on varying organic growth and average acquisition multiples (cents)

€ cents

Average EV/PBT (x) paid for future acquisitions in H2 18 and FY19

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

11.0

Organic growth H217 & FY18

5.0%

80.8

77.2

74.4

72.1

70.3

10.0%

86.6

82.9

80.1

77.9

76.0

15.0%

92.6

89.0

86.1

83.9

82.0

20.0%

98.9

95.2

92.4

90.2

88.3

25.0%

105.4

101.8

99.0

96.7

94.9

Source: Edison Investment Research

Valuation

Sustained execution should drive positive returns

The key attraction of Keywords’ business model and investment case is the fact that the company can continue generating robust, double-digit earnings growth without deviating from its current strategy or expanding beyond its core games developer customer base.

The company’s rating of 46x FY18e earnings, dropping to 37x in FY19e, is a substantial premium to peers (average c 23.4x for FY19e). We believe that a substantial premium is justified – Keywords has established a strong leadership position in an-end market with very attractive structural growth characteristics. Acquisitions should bring these multiples down substantially and there remains scope for organic upside to our estimates.

Exhibit 11: Peer valuation

Name

Current price

Quoted ccy

Market cap ($m)

EV/Sales 1FY (x)

EV/Sales 2FY (x)

EV/EBITDA 1FY (x)

EV/EBITDA 2FY (x)

P/E 1FY (x)

P/E 2FY (x)

Outsourcing

Keywords Studios

1886.0

GBP

1,164

4.4

3.8

25.4

21.0

44.5

36.3

Hearts United Group

1,607

JPY

342

1.8

1.6

25.0

18.0

Learning Technologies Group

125

GBP

1,096

8.2

6.2

39.4

27.2

52.1

35.7

RWS Holdings

494

GBP

1,779

4.8

4.3

21.5

18.6

28.5

24.6

Poletowin Pitcrew

2,964

JPY

503

2.0

1.8

27.6

25.1

SDL

455

GBP

543

1.2

1.1

12.3

9.8

20.1

16.7

Sumo Group

156

GBP

308

6.0

4.7

21.7

16.5

31.8

24.4

Wipro

5

US$

24,068

2.6

2.4

13.5

12.4

19.9

18.3

Zoo Digital Group

150

GBP

146

4.5

3.8

44.3

36.6

103.7

70.4

Average (median)

3.5

3.1

21.6

17.6

28.1

24.5

Games Developers

Activision Blizzard

80

US$

60,672

8.0

7.4

22.0

18.9

30.4

26.5

Bandai Namco Holdings

4,440

JPY

8,783

1.2

1.1

7.8

7.4

17.4

16.2

Electronic Arts

113

US$

34,420

5.8

5.3

16.1

14.0

24.4

21.0

Frontier Developments

1,180

GBP

602

5.4

6.6

15.5

20.7

28.4

49.0

Konami Holdings

4,235

JPY

5,415

1.9

1.8

7.2

6.6

15.9

14.7

Square Enix Holdings

4,535

JPY

4,950

1.6

1.5

9.2

7.4

20.3

16.2

Take-Two Interactive Software

131

US$

14,863

4.8

4.8

19.0

16.9

28.9

26.1

Ubisoft Entertainment

93

12,395

5.3

4.7

11.9

10.4

31.7

25.9

Average (median)

5.1

4.8

13.7

12.2

26.4

23.4

Source: Bloomberg, Edison Investment Research. Note: Prices as at 20 September 2018.

If we consider the scenarios portrayed in Exhibits 10 and 12, using in our opinion reasonable assumptions (similar organic growth trajectory and acquisition multiples), the company could expend its EPS to the 85c level exiting FY19, in which case the shares would be rated at a mid-20s multiple, in line with peers. With plenty of financial headroom to continue executing its current strategy, Keywords’ earnings growth potential should look equally strong into 2020 and beyond. Consequently, we would expect the company to continue to trade at a very healthy growth multiple. We believe that sustained execution should continue to drive robust returns for shareholders.

Exhibit 12: Scenario analysis – P/E (x) at 1,930p share price based on estimated EPS run rate exiting FY19 under varying organic growth and average EV/PBT acquisition multiples

€ cents

Average EV/PBT (x) paid for future acquisitions in FY18 and FY19

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

11.0

Organic growth FY18

5%

25.9

30.1

31.2

32.2

33.0

10%

24.1

28.0

29.0

29.8

30.5

15%

22.6

26.1

26.9

27.7

28.3

20%

21.1

24.4

25.1

25.7

26.3

25%

19.8

22.8

23.4

24.0

24.5

Source: Edison Investment Research


Exhibit 13: Financial summary

€000s

2016

2017

2018e

2019e

31-December

IFRS

IFRS

IFRS

IFRS

PROFIT & LOSS

Revenue

 

 

96,585

151,430

254,570

300,212

Cost of Sales

(59,907)

(96,345)

(160,361)

(190,439)

Gross Profit (inc multimedia tax credits)

36,678

55,085

94,208

109,772

EBITDA

 

 

16,893

26,645

44,539

53,911

Operating Profit (before amort. and except.)

 

 

15,090

23,915

39,339

47,778

Intangible Amortisation

(1,629)

(3,038)

(5,000)

(5,500)

Exceptionals

(1,316)

(3,016)

(3,400)

0

Other

(686)

(1,426)

(1,854)

(2,410)

Operating Profit

11,459

16,435

29,085

39,869

Net Interest

(287)

(872)

(143)

(935)

FOREX

(1,737)

(3,569)

0

0

Profit Before Tax (norm)

 

 

14,864

23,043

39,196

46,843

Profit Before Tax (FRS 3)

 

 

9,435

11,994

28,942

38,933

Tax

(3,223)

(4,731)

(7,761)

(8,900)

Profit After Tax (norm)

11,641

18,312

31,435

37,943

Profit After Tax (FRS 3)

6,212

7,263

21,181

30,033

Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m)

55.9

58.7

64.1

64.5

EPS

 

 

20.9

31.2

49.0

58.8

EPS - normalised (c)

 

 

20.3

29.9

47.1

57.7

EPS - (IFRS) (c)

 

 

11.2

12.4

33.0

46.6

Dividend per share (p)

1.33

1.46

1.61

1.77

Gross Margin (%)

38.0%

36.4%

37.0%

36.6%

EBITDA Margin (%)

17.5%

17.6%

17.5%

18.0%

Operating Margin (before GW and except.) (%)

15.6%

15.8%

15.5%

15.9%

BALANCE SHEET

Fixed Assets

 

 

61,873

143,872

165,786

176,162

Intangible Assets

55,495

132,555

153,103

163,249

Tangible Assets

5,498

10,111

11,477

11,707

Investments

880

1,206

1,206

1,206

Current Assets

 

 

38,677

80,182

76,120

89,168

Stocks

0

0

0

0

Debtors

13,879

27,473

37,762

42,030

Cash

17,020

30,374

23,022

29,054

Other

7,778

22,335

15,335

18,084

Current Liabilities

 

 

(27,830)

(52,503)

(48,038)

(44,257)

Creditors

(19,805)

(33,560)

(29,095)

(25,314)

Short term borrowings

(8,025)

(18,943)

(18,943)

(18,943)

Long Term Liabilities

 

 

(6,016)

(10,420)

(10,365)

(10,365)

Long term borrowings

(345)

(337)

(337)

(337)

Other long term liabilities

(5,671)

(10,083)

(10,028)

(10,028)

Net Assets

 

 

66,704

161,131

183,503

210,708

CASH FLOW

Operating Cash Flow

 

 

17,168

18,373

36,895

40,761

Net Interest

(58)

(253)

(143)

(935)

Tax

(2,129)

(4,731)

(7,761)

(8,900)

Capex

(2,306)

(3,803)

(6,121)

(6,363)

Acquisitions/disposals

(21,104)

(87,074)

(28,387)

(17,384)

Financing

643

82,936

0

0

Dividends

(825)

(867)

(1,034)

(1,148)

Net Cash Flow

(8,611)

4,581

(6,551)

6,031

Opening net debt/(cash)

 

 

(17,284)

(8,650)

(11,094)

(3,742)

Forex gain on cash

1

(891)

(500)

0

Other

(24)

(1,246)

(301)

0

Closing net debt/(cash)

 

 

(8,650)

(11,094)

(3,742)

(9,774)

Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research

Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world-renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise. At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisers and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting. Edison is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Edison Investment Research (NZ) Limited (Edison NZ) is the New Zealand subsidiary of Edison. Edison NZ is registered on the New Zealand Financial Service Providers Register (FSP number 247505) and is registered to provide wholesale and/or generic financial adviser services only. Edison Investment Research Inc (Edison US) is the US subsidiary of Edison and is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Edison Investment Research Pty Limited (Edison Aus) [46085869] is the Australian subsidiary of Edison. Edison Germany is a branch entity of Edison Investment Research Limited [4794244]. www.edisongroup.com

DISCLAIMER
Copyright 2018 Edison Investment Research Limited. All rights reserved. This report has been commissioned by Keywords Studios and prepared and issued by Edison for publication globally. All information used in the publication of this report has been compiled from publicly available sources that are believed to be reliable, however we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this report. Opinions contained in this report represent those of the research department of Edison at the time of publication. The securities described in the Investment Research may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to certain categories of investors. This research is issued in Australia by Edison Investment Research Pty Ltd (Corporate Authorised Representative (1252501) of Myonlineadvisers Pty Ltd (AFSL: 427484)) and any access to it, is intended only for "wholesale clients" within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 of Australia. The Investment Research is distributed in the United States by Edison US to major US institutional investors only. Edison US is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Edison US relies upon the "publishers' exclusion" from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and corresponding state securities laws. As such, Edison does not offer or provide personalised advice. We publish information about companies in which we believe our readers may be interested and this information reflects our sincere opinions. The information that we provide or that is derived from our website is not intended to be, and should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as, personalised advice. Also, our website and the information provided by us should not be construed by any subscriber or prospective subscriber as Edison’s solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect, any transaction in a security. The research in this document is intended for New Zealand resident professional financial advisers or brokers (for use in their roles as financial advisers or brokers) and habitual investors who are “wholesale clients” for the purpose of the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA) (as described in sections 5(c) (1)(a), (b) and (c) of the FAA). This is not a solicitation or inducement to buy, sell, subscribe, or underwrite any securities mentioned or in the topic of this document. This document is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation for investment in any securities mentioned or in the topic of this document. A marketing communication under FCA Rules, this document has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.
Edison has a restrictive policy relating to personal dealing. Edison Group does not conduct any investment business and, accordingly, does not itself hold any positions in the securities mentioned in this report. However, the respective directors, officers, employees and contractors of Edison may have a position in any or related securities mentioned in this report. Edison or its affiliates may perform services or solicit business from any of the companies mentioned in this report. The value of securities mentioned in this report can fall as well as rise and are subject to large and sudden swings. In addition it may be difficult or not possible to buy, sell or obtain accurate information about the value of securities mentioned in this report. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. Forward-looking information or statements in this report contain information that is based on assumptions, forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable, and therefore involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of their subject matter to be materially different from current expectations. For the purpose of the FAA, the content of this report is of a general nature, is intended as a source of general information only and is not intended to constitute a recommendation or opinion in relation to acquiring or disposing (including refraining from acquiring or disposing) of securities. The distribution of this document is not a “personalised service” and, to the extent that it contains any financial advice, is intended only as a “class service” provided by Edison within the meaning of the FAA (ie without taking into account the particular financial situation or goals of any person). As such, it should not be relied upon in making an investment decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Edison, its affiliates and contractors, and their respective directors, officers and employees will not be liable for any loss or damage arising as a result of reliance being placed on any of the information contained in this report and do not guarantee the returns on investments in the products discussed in this publication. FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2018. “FTSE®” is a trade mark of the London Stock Exchange Group companies and is used by FTSE International Limited under license. All rights in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings vest in FTSE and/or its licensors. Neither FTSE nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings or underlying data. No further distribution of FTSE Data is permitted without FTSE’s express written consent.

Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

London +44 (0)20 3077 5700

280 High Holborn

London, WC1V 7EE

United Kingdom

New York +1 646 653 7026

295 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor

10017, New York

US

Sydney +61 (0)2 8249 8342

Level 4, Office 1205

95 Pitt Street, Sydney

NSW 2000, Australia

Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

London +44 (0)20 3077 5700

280 High Holborn

London, WC1V 7EE

United Kingdom

New York +1 646 653 7026

295 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor

10017, New York

US

Sydney +61 (0)2 8249 8342

Level 4, Office 1205

95 Pitt Street, Sydney

NSW 2000, Australia

More on Keywords Studios

View All

Latest from the TMT sector

View All TMT content

Stride Gaming — Focusing on synergies and strategic growth

Stride’s FY18 trading update confirms the widely reported headwinds facing the UK bingo-led market, with a c 3% decline in real money gaming (RMG) in H218. More positively, FY18 RMG EBITDA appears to be in line (or slightly better) than our recently reduced estimate. Importantly, Stride’s high-margin proprietary platform is a key differentiator and the company remains well placed to gain market share. The balance sheet is strong and we expect strong cash flow through synergies and strategic growth. The stock has fallen 60% this year on the back of downgrades and a UKGC fine (which appears to be c £4m) and now trades at depressed levels of 5.8x P/E and 3.3x EV/EBITDA for CY19e.

Continue Reading

Subscribe to Edison

Get access to the very latest content matched to your personal investment style.

Sign up for free