LG Electronics (066570 KS) Preparing for a Future in Automotive Electronics
LG Electronics (066570 KS) Preparing for a future in automotive electronics Technology Automotive electronics could be the next growth engine for LGE LG Electronics (LGE) launched a vehicle components (VC) division after merging with its Results Comment auto engineering subsidiary V-ENS on July 1st. We believe the move is part of the July 25, 2013 company’s efforts to find its next growth driver beyond smartphones. LGE, which was once ranked on par with Samsung Electronics (SEC), has struggled ever since failing to ride the smartphone wave. But now that the TV, home appliance, and air conditioner (Maintain) Buy businesses are stabilizing, and the once-lagging smartphone business is also back on track, the firm needs to look for its next growth engines, one of which we believe will be Target Price (12M, W) 108,000 automotive electronics. Automotive electronics is a vast market estimated at W600tr annually. It is one area in Share Price (07/24/13, W) 74,200 which the LG Group has a competitive advantage, given its strength in motors (LGE & LG Innotek), wireless/audio (LGE), camera modules/LEDs (LG Innotek), batteries (LG Chem), Expected Return 46% and other various parts (LG Hausys). We believe the VC division will be in charge of combining all these components into marketable products. Although it will take some OP (13F, Wbn) 1,501 time for the business to stand on its own, we are encouraged by the fact that LGE has Consensus OP (13F, Wbn) 1,647 taken a major step forward towards future growth. EPS Growth (13F, %) 670.7 2Q13 review: OP in line at W479.3bn Market EPS Growth (13F, %) 18.2 For 2Q, LGE posted revenue of W15.2tr (+8% QoQ) and operating profit of W479.3bn P/E (13F, x) 26.1 (+37.1% QoQ), largely in line with our projections (W15.1tr and W487bn, respectively).
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