BT1/ STRONG MARKET POSITION (Top 3 in chosen market sector) [perspective FY2020]
'Vital', as this company was rebranded in 2019, is a small niche overlooked share (you can tell that because since the company name changed from Teamtalk a couple of years ago, no-one has bothered to update the thread title). This indicates to me it might be 'worth a snoop'. So let me introduce them to you as a provider of infrastructure and communication services.
Vital has two divisions:
1/ 'Wired Networks' that principally consists of two wholesale fibre communication networks, one around the CBD in Wellington (acquired) and the other around the CBD in Auckland (built in house). Originally branded as 'Citylink', the Wellington network in particular, 32km of the 250km total, has been extensively rebuilt in the last few years. The 'old overhead cables' - that piggy backed on the now retired trolley bus line network - have migrated underground. They now goes through the old Powerco subterranean gas ducting. Of course the electronics on the end of the fibre have concurrently been updated to produce a more flexible product package range that tops out for maximum speed at 10Gbps (slightly higher than the maximum 8Gbps offered by top line Chorus hyperfibre). 'Citylink' serves business (including Dimension Data and Datacom) and the telecommunications industry (including Spark, Vodaphone and 2 degrees). Vital have a TAAS (Telecommunications as a service) contract with the Department of Internal Affairs to deliver telecommunications services for all government agencies. Further, 'Citylink' are contracted to operate Wellington's free Wi Fi service throughout the CBD. They also offer cloud based data storage capability to customers in Wellington and Auckland, and provide peering exchanges for ISPs to share data.
The original 'Citylink' Network was sold by the Wellington City Council in 1999 to investment firm 'Active Equities'. It was subsequently acquired by Teamtalk (as Vital was named then) in 2006.
2/ 'Wireless Networks' is New Zealand's only nationwide wholesale radio network for voice and data traffic, and it operates in the microwave spectrum. This division operates three networks, (1) 'ActionNet' the legacy network that is in the process of being replaced by a (2) new digital radio network equivalent (engineered by Tait Electronics of Christchurch). Customers may be found in the Civil Defence, Emergency Services, Health, Utilities, Public Transport Education and Logistics and Freight sectors. 'Wellington Electricity' and "Auckland Airport' are two of the more high profile customers. There is a dedicated network for emergency services too, with a new contract just signed for St Johns. In 2016, Vital launched (3) 'RT max' as an affordable entry level digital radio service based on Motorola's 'Linked Capacity Plus' technology.
A significant capital raise of $8.2m was made in FY2019 to go towards funding these upgrades, and a new computerised management system to support them. The current company policy (AR2019 p2) is to pay out 50-70% of NPAT as dividends to ensure enough cash is retained to keep investing in the networks.
For those students of history, there was a third division 'Farmside' that concentrated on selling satellite and fixed wireless internet in rural areas. However this division was sold to Vodaphone in two tranches of 1/ 70% on 1st June 2017, and 2/ 30% on 31st May 2018.
Conclusion: As (1) the only nationwide wholesale provider of a digital radio service and as (2) one of the top three in the fibre Wellington market (with Vodaphone and Chorus) and Auckland (with Vector and Chorus) , Vital PASSes this first test.
SNOOPY
BT2/ INCREASING EARNINGS PER SHARE TREND (one setback allowed) [perspective 2020]
eps = Normalised Profit / No. Shares on Issue at End of Financial Year
FY2016: 0.72( $4.569m + $0.229m ) / 28.369m shares = 12.2cps
FY2017: ($4.144m - 0.72($0.457m) ) / 28.369m shares = 13.5cps
FY2018: ($4.512m - 0.72($0.195m) ) / 28.369m shares = 15.3cps
FY2019: ($4.054m + 0.72($0.205m) ) / 41.381m shares = 10.2cps
FY2020: ($0.734m + $0.44m +0.72($0.211) ) / 41.381m shares = 3.2cps
Notes
1/ FY2016, FY2017 and FY2018 results have had operating returns from the now sold 'Farmside' division removed. Any profits from the sale of this division have also not been included in these earnings figures.
2/ In every year I have adjusted for the 'after tax effect' of any gain or loss in the fair value of derivatives (found in the 'Finance and Expense' note in each respective annual report).
3/ In FY2020 I have added back the claimed 'after tax effect' of the adoption of adoption of IFRS 16 on the treatment of leases. Reading p4 of AR2020, the contempt with which IFRS 16 is held is remarkable. The Chairman in effect says it is a non-cash adjustment that should be ignored!
4/ For years FY2016 and FY2017 I have changed the tax rate to the standard corporate rate of 28%. This removes the effect of previous years tax losses skewing the operational results for the current year.
Conclusion: Things were going well until the 'set back' of FY2019, which was 'Covid compounded' by the deferring of customer upgrades in FY2020. FAIL test!
SNOOPY
BT3/: RETURN ON EQUITY (>15% for five years, one setback allowed) [perspectiveFY2020]
Return on Equity = Normalised Profit / End of Year Shareholder Funds
FY2016: $3.455m / $20.209m = 17.1%
FY2017: $3.815m / $25.327m = 15.1%
FY2018: $4.372m / $29.766m = 14.7%
FY2019: $4.202m / $42.095m = 10.0%
FY2020: $1.326m / $41.740m = 3.2%
Conclusion: You could say within rounding errors that things were OK until the 'setback' of FY2019. This was then compounded by an even bigger setback in FY2020. FAIL test!
SNOOPY