Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BDMS)
We upgrade BDMS to Outperform from Neutral and raise our DCF-based TP to Bt24 from Bt19. This is based on our EPS upgrade of 5-10% in 2015-22E, reflecting: 1) management's announcement that it would add 6 buildings at its Bangkok headquarters; and 2) lower depreciation from new hospitals. We are positive on BDMS's capacity expansion at its headquarters given the strong international patient volumes, high yield and quick expected profit turnaround. BDMS is our top pick in the sector. We prefer BDMS to BH due to its better long-term strategy and cheaper valuation.
Investment highlight
- Capacity expansion at Bangkok headquarters. Management announced at an analyst meeting that it plans to add 6 buildings with 300 beds to Bangkok Hospital Soonvijai (its Bangkok headquarters), with a total capex of Bt6bn. BDMS's Bangkok headquarters currently consists of 3 buildings with a total of 488 beds. Post expansion, it will have 9 buildings with an increased capacity of 61% to 788 beds.
- Opening phase by phase. The current utilization at Bangkok headquarters is high at 80-85%. Under the first phase of the expansion plan, BDMS plans to open two buildings, one that will focus on Myanmar patients and a second that will serve Arab patients. The remaining four buildings that will be opened later will cater to Asia-Pacific patients. A separate building for "other" international patients will help free up capacity for Thai patients and allow the hospital to better manage its international customers. International patients accounted for 28% of BDMS's total revenues in 2014. Myanmar contributes the 2nd highest market share at 7% of international patient revenues.
-Investment cost per bed is high … BDMS already has land available for the capacity expansion (at the back of the current building). The investment cost per bed for this expansion is high at Bt20m, higher than the average of Bt10m for high-end hospitals but still lower than BH's 2nd building at Bt40m/bed. Management said the investment cost was so high because the plan calls for a super premium facility with high-end equipment.
- … but high yield should lead to quick profit turnaround. The Bangkok headquarters is very well run with a high EBITDA margin of 26% in 2014, above BDMS's average EBITDA margin of 22%. High patient volume and high price intensity, thanks to its reputation for top quality doctors and services, are the reason for the high EBITDA margin. Note that the Bangkok headquarters’ OPD visit per day is high at Bt6,000 (higher than BDMS’s average of Bt3,000), while IPD visit per day is Bt60,000 (higher than BDMS’s average of Bt20,000). We expect the Bangkok headquarters’ high yield will lead to a quicker profit turnaround compared to other hospital projects.
- EPS upgraded by 5-10% in 2015-22E. BDMS expects depreciation expense will be 7% of total revenues, lower than the 8% of total revenues in our previous projections, given the expansion plan will start with a smaller beginning phase. After fine-tuning our numbers to bring them into line with management’s guidance and the latest expansion plan, we upgrade our earnings by 5-10% in 2015-22E.
Valuation
- We raise our DCF-based TP to Bt24 (from Bt19) due to BDMS’s improved long-term growth prospects. BDMS is trading at 40x PER in 2015, higher than its local peers.
But given BDMS's better long-term growth, we see its valuation being cheaper than that of its local peers in 2022, which is when all the hospital companies’ expansion projects
are expected to be fully operational. BDMS is trading at a 9x PER in 2022E, lower than BH’s 13x and BCH’s 10x.