15 June 2018 India | Media | Company Update Siti Networks Ltd | HOLD Video has turned, but broadband is in doldrums—upgrade to Hold Siti stock has declined 38% since we initiated with a Sell nine months ago. We lower our TP Sanjay Chawla
[email protected] | Tel: (91 22) 66303155 to INR 16 (Jun-19) from INR 19 (Mar-19), noting poor growth outlook for broadband, but Shilpa Pattnaik upgrade Siti to a Hold, based on: (1) in-line, 52% EBITDA growth in FY18, albeit off a low
[email protected] | Tel: (91 22) 66303134 base; (2) sustainable turnaround in video/cable business, driven by improving monetisation [subscription revenue up 41% yoy in FY18], moderation in content cost growth [c.16% vs. 41% in FY17], and optimisation in non-content opex or NCO; (3) a modest 3-4% upside potential on TP; and (4) reasonable valuations—just under 7x EV/EBITDA on FY20 forecasts. Last month, Madras High Court upheld TRAI’s TV tariff order [TTO]. Notwithstanding further court delays (Tata Sky, Airtel have challenged the TTO in Delhi HC), we see limited upside Recommendation and Price Target potential from any future implementation as: (1) 15% cap on bouquet discount has not been Current Reco. HOLD upheld—may result in TTO dilution; (2) real bottleneck is/remains getting a higher/fair share Previous Reco. SELL of customer ARPU from LCOs; and (3) our forecasts already bake-in a significant growth in Current Price Target (12M) 16.0 net video ARPUs (i.e. net of content and carriage)—we forecast Siti’s net ARPU to increase Upside/(Downside) 3.2% from INR 42/month in FY18, to INR 50/55 in FY20/22.