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General Body Meeting 10.20.10. Agenda. Announcements Headlines Ford pitch Quant team commentary. Announcements. Hope everyone made it to the GS event today Doug Braunstein of JP Morgan 10.28.10 at 8:30pm in Statler Ballroom CFO of JP Morgan Former Head of Investment Banking
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Agenda • Announcements • Headlines • Ford pitch • Quant team commentary
Announcements • Hope everyone made it to the GS event today • Doug Braunstein of JP Morgan 10.28.10 at 8:30pm in Statler Ballroom • CFO of JP Morgan • Former Head of Investment Banking • Elections to be held on November 10th • MICC social event to be announced soon
Headline 1 David Shim
Cotton Prices hit Record High • December cotton contracts have hit $1.1980/pound this past week, a 56% surge in 3 months • Highest price since Reconstruction and the highest since the creation of the New York Cotton Exchange in 1870 • Caused by rising demand in China and other emerging markets • Flooding in Pakistan and heavy rains in China have hurt supply • Shrinking margins for apparel companies who may have to raise prices starting next year, even in weak economy • For the past 15 years prices usually range between 40 and 80 cents
Broad Based Commodity Rally • Other commodities such as sugar, orange juice and coffee have soared in price • Pushed by a weakening dollar, strong demand from emerging markets and weather-related supply issues • Consumers could begin to see higher prices for daily necessities • The China Cotton Association and other groups lay part of the blame on speculators
Headline 2 John Yoshida
Technology Sector Earnings • Earnings Announcements • Intel • Strength in corporate demand and emerging markets • Google • Continued core strength… • Apple • Competition ahead
Tech M&A Rumors? • Yahoo • AOL, PE Firms? • Saw flat revenue + loss of market share • Seagate • Bain, TPG, and KKR considering take over
Headline 3 David Wong
Investment Bank Q3 Earnings • Overall earnings were stronger than expectations • Banks face challenges in expanding loan portfolios and decreases in asset bases • Much of earnings were driven by decreases in loan loss reserves–a sign of improved credit • Trading revenues were down at JPM, Citi, & GS, but up at BAML; IB revenues were mixed • Mortgage foreclosure issues caused JPM to increase their litigation reserves
Business Description • Ford is 4th largest automobile manufacturers • Largest U.S. auto manufacturer and only one to not accept government money • 90 manufacturing plants all over the World • Brands include: Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, and a 11% stake in Mazda • Powerful Brand with Strong Reputation as opposed to many competitors (No bailout, Toyota Image Problem)
Product Line • Since 2007 have sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo • Mercury marquee to be phased out late 2010 • Ford marquee used globally, Lincoln in N. American and Middle East
Ford has price control on larger cars, also plans to expand on compact, efficient cars
Thesis: A Return to Sustained Profit • Great management • Restructuring made company very profitable and able to manufacture in the US as well as around the world with higher margins • New focused strategy that features a quality streamlined product line around the world with a focus on compact fuel-efficient cars • Potential Expansion into China, India and South America • Cheap valuation as the markets have not noticed Ford’s strong performance in a slow-growth market
Company Fundamentals are Strong and Improving • Outperformed estimates the past fiscal year • Strong Cash Flow that is paying down long term debt • Strong operating margins through efficient cost cutting • Improving balance sheet • Overlooked strong earnings amidst slow growth economic environment • Sustainable high margins and robust profitability
Ford Management • Led by CEO Alan Mulally since 2006 • Since that time, he has driven Ford’s turnaround and profitable growth • Originally chosen because of his past experience at Boeing after September 11 • Proved he could manage “in the midst of a crisis”
Volvo Divestment • Ford made deal in December to sell Volvo • Volvo will be sold some time in 2010 • This should free up some capital
ONE FORD • Began in 2007 • Prompted and allowed by the fact that world tastes in vehicle size are converging. Americans are beginning to like smaller cars, and Europeans and Asians are beginning to like larger ones. • Plan to have the majority of Ford’s business be in the sale of comparatively few cars, with small, cheap adjustments for local markets. • This, in theory, should accelerate development and reduce costs, allowing Ford to stay at the top of the global American car market and even compete with European car makers.
Fiesta • Leader of European small car segment • U.S. launch happened this year • Cornerstone of the ONE Ford plan • Small, and fuel efficient-40mpg highway
Pricing Advantage (Quality Product) • With the recently launched Fiesta, Ford appears to be following a pricing strategy that has a spread of over $6000 or 50% of the base price. Moreover, with the pricing combined with the scale efficiencies from the global Fiesta platform (discussed below), Ford management expects solid profitability from the US Fiesta. • The new Taurus demonstrates the core of the Ford pricing (and volume) strategy, which is not just to price up in general, but to deliver value-added option packages at a significantly higher price point and make those attractive to a significant proportion of the vehicle buyers – even if at far lower than previous volumes. • The Taurus had been a breakthrough product for Ford in the mid-1980s as the first successful Big Three counterpunch to the Japanese dominance of mid-sized cars, and had sales averaging in the 400k-500k range for much of the 1990s (including the look-alike Mercury Sable).
Focus • The new Focus was the first car to be wholly designed with One Ford in mind. Focus will be sold in 122 countries, with projected production of 2 million vehicles a year by 2012.
Fuel Efficiency • EcoBoost introduced in the 2010 model year to many awards. • Special line of engines designed with direct injection and turbo chargers, meant to imitate the feeling of a larger, sportier engine, while increasing fuel efficiency by 20% and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15%. • By 2012, the company plans to produce 750,000 EcoBoost units annually in the US and 1.3 million globally in the world market. • Ford expects over 90-percent of its global vehicle lineup to offer EcoBoost engine technology by 2013. • Partnering with Peugot, the leader in diesel F1 racing engines, to develop a line of production diesel engines. • The first Euro 6 engines will hit the market in 2013 with improved fuel economy and driving sensation.
Ford PowerShift • Ford’s dual clutch transmission. • Introduced in the 2010 model year, two years before Chrysler(Fiat) and GM plan to introduce their own versions. • Reduces fuel consumption by as much as 10%. • Nearly eliminates the shifting sensation normal with regular automatic and manual transmissions. • Produced in partnership with Getrag, who makes transmissions for most major automakers. • The partnership started in 2001.
MyFord – Microsoft Sync • Ford’s electronic integration system paired with Microsoft’s voice recognition and media software. • Designed to be affordable so that the vast majority of cars sold can have MyFord and Sync across product lines and trim levels.
Safety • Inflatable seatbelts – 2012 • In 2009, Ford introduced Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support, and Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert. These technologies help drivers avoid potential collisions by using radar to detect the position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and audio alerts • Continually, more U.S. government 5-star crash test ratings than any other brand.
Growth in Emerging Markets • Latecomer to emerging markets but catching up based on quality products and strong brand appeal • Ford is poised to capture growth in BRIC countries • Robust in SA, 4th in industry sales in Brazil • $2.3 billion investment over 5 years to increase capacity in Brazil, projecting pre-tax profits of $1.7 billion in 2012 up from $765 million in 2009
Competitive Advantages • Ford is uniquely positioned to capitalize on growth in sales in both the United States (when they recover) and emerging markets • Stronger balance sheet has allowed them to make the proper investments and will allow them to continue making necessary investments • Ford has already seen its sales in Asia and Africa rise 40% YTD • $510 million investment in China and $500 million investment in India to tap into these emerging markets • Anticipates 70% of its sales growth to come from this Asia- Africa region in the next 10 years and the steps they have taken have already allowed them to start realizing this growth • As mentioned above, automobile manufacturers have high fixed costs; therefore the fact that Ford is profitable even with such low sales figures is impressive – analysts believe that Ford will be very profitable by doing what they are doing as soon as sales pick up
Product Innovation in India • Ford Figo • Manufactured in India • Launched Tuesday at very low price • $7,690 • Designed for India • Larger, more expensive Than Tata Nano
Ford Restructuring to cut costs • Responded to recession by making hard but necessary decisions: • Cut North America salaried personnel by 20% • Selectively cut back on product lines • Eliminated $163 million in retiree benefits • First U.S. automaker to respond to consumer demand for more compact car • Mulally negotiated four new agreements with the UAW-this brought down labor costs from $76/hour to $55/hour • Mulally bullish on stock, recently worked out a deal to pay union in cash rather than stock
Profitability through successful restructuring (Operating Margins)
Ford Outperforming (Sept. US Auto Sales) • Ford+46% Honda+26% • GM+22% Toyota+17% • With a 43% jump in monthly sales, Ford reached sales of 142,285 vehicles vs. 141,951 for GM, beating them for the first time in 12 years
FY2010 Q2 Earnings • Ford posted $2.6 billion in profit • Fifth consecutive quarter of gains • Total Revenue of $31.3 billion beating analyst estimates of $29.8 billion • Repaid $7 billion of automotive debt, leading to savings of $470 million in annual interest
Growing Earnings + Sustainable Margins + Improving Balance Sheet = High Returns
Cheap Valuation (Undervalued) • Priced relatively cheap • High Beta could result in high price increase if/when market stabilizes
P/E Valuation • Steadily Improving Balance Sheet with increasing Returns on Assets • Sustained Profitability • Emerging Markets Growth • Higher P/E ratio justified • With a P/E of of 10 and estimated 2011 EPS of $2.00 (after-tax) gives a $20/share valuation
EV/EBITDA Valuation • Takes into account Ford’s complex capital structure • However it ignores profitability and Ford is improving in this area steadily • Using a conservative EV/EBITDA of 5 and Barclays estimates of 2011 EBITDA of 11.4 we find an EV of auto operations of 57 billion. When added with excess cash and Ford Credit, Total EV is 94.3 billion. • With estimated 2011 total liabilities of 30.6 billion, equity value is 63.7 billion • $63.7 billion / 3.44 billion shares = $18.52/share
Risks • Competition from other automakers: • GM is having its IPO sometime in the next month • Growing competition from China and Korea (Kia, Hyundai, etc.) • Toyota has responded to its recent problems by implementing a “smart stop system” • Is this solution effective and is their reputation already tarnished? • Economic Slowdown, High Unemployment, Decreased Consumer Spending • Short term short speculation