NextDC: The Coming Of Age Of A Cloud Infra Story

This story features NEXTDC LIMITED, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: NXT

In this week's Weekly Insights:

-NextDC: The Coming Of Age Of A Cloud Infra Story
-No Weekly Insights Next Week
-Conviction Calls: Morningstar, CLSA, Morgans, Moelis
-New Website: VIP Promotion For Subscribers
-2016 – L'Année Extraordinaire
-All-Weather Model Portfolio
-Rudi On TV
-Rudi On Tour

NextDC: The Coming Of Age Of A Cloud Infra Story

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArena

The late Winston Churchill was once quoted as saying: "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they have tried everything else". I have come to the conclusion that one might as well replace "Americans" with "the share market" and stick with the rest of that quote.

As a case in point, in December last year I spoke at the special Christmas event of the Chatswood chapter of the Australian Investors' Association (AIA). The theme was whether I had one regret I wanted to share with the audience, or one important lesson, and I chose NextDC ((NXT)).

When it comes to companies operating in a favourable environment, we would all be hard pressed to list many companies that have even more favourable operational dynamics than has NextDC, in my view.

As consumers we are all using ever more data in our daily mobile and online habits and the same applies to businesses, both big and small. More data and services are migrating from hard drives to the cloud, just ask Atlassian, Xero ((XRO)), WiseTech Global ((WTC)), and many others.

This migration is in its early stages, still, with steady, double-digit annual growth in general uptake pretty much assured for the next decade or so. Meanwhile, large international players such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Oracle and IBM are providing the infrastructure that facilitates such migration. While all are experiencing robust growth in cloud infrastructure, entering the game requires large investments and long lead times, not to mention the technical scrutiny. Nobody wants to see clients data go missing or becoming publicly available.

Early stages of migration, the world around. Big players trying to catch up with demand. High margins for early movers. This situation calls for more entrepreneurs being lured into this emerging growth sector, assuming they can secure the funds to invest.

This is where NextDC fits in. The company operates data centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth and has secured the funds to expand with one new centre in each of the first three cities.

Note the expansion was initiated one year earlier than planned because demand is so high, the existing centres are filling up faster than anticipated.

Still, none of the above guarantees that NextDC will end up being a local success story. Management can make mistakes. Delays can happen. Industry dynamics can change. Competition can change pricing in the industry. But thus far none of these risks has actually materialised.

Instead, I would argue operational risks have diminished as management has been able to showcase its expertise and abilities and success is being seen with the first data centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, less so with the under-utilised centres in Perth and Canberra.

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Last year I allowed NextDC to become the largest holding in the FNArena/Vested Equities All-Weather Model Portfolio. This was partially on the back of a robust share price performance. Between March 2015 and September 2016 the share price rose by no less than 176%. Then the Big Switch announced itself and the share price landed in free fall.

This is where Churchill's opening quote, amended for the share market, finds its justification. Knowing you are owning a marvelous, longer term investment that, sadly, short term has fallen out of favour is one big gut-wrenching experience, as I can report from first hand experience. Or as I said to the Chatswood audience: character building.

Nevertheless, lessons have been learned. NextDC, now in free fall, sort of automatically became my Conviction Call for the year ahead. I truly hope many in the audience that night have grabbed the opportunity that a non-interested share market was offering at the time. Because guess what happened? NextDC shares have rallied back to where they were in October, and that's not that far off from their peak in September.

Still, FNArena's consensus target ($4.43) sits more than 14% above today's share price. UBS even has a price target of $4.80, suggesting further upside could still be in excess of 22%.

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Part of the growing attraction of NextDC, and one of the attractions when I first started buying shares for the Model Portfolio back in 2015, is that large parts of the investment community are as yet not familiar with this company. There's a general idea, sort of, without much attention to depth or detail. But interest certainly is growing, with positive impact on the share price.

On my observation, the more analysts cast their expert eye over the company and its potential, the more positive news flow is being generated to add to NextDC's investment appeal. The latest to initiate coverage is Canaccord Genuity. On March 31st the stockbroker issued an initiation with Buy and a $4.85 price target; even higher than UBS.

From the Canaccord Genuity research report: "NXT's ecosystem is well-rated by independent global data centre database, Cloudscene, ranking second only to Equinix in Australia. Individually Cloudscene also rates NXT's assets highly, with each of M1, S1, B1 and P1 appearing in the top 10 (out of 214 facilities in the directory)."

In other words, the analysts subscribe to the thesis that NextDC represents "quality". Equally important, on the analysts' calculations, a share price of under $4 (where it is now) only reflects the value of the existing data centres: "we believe investors are therefore currently paying very little for an option on the development portfolio, all of which are significantly larger than their existing city counterparts and could be worth significantly more in the future".

Of course, I hear some of you saying, this company is not profitable as yet and there are no dividend payments on the horizon. True. These achievements will be there one day, I am sure, and last year these factors were used as justification to sell down the shares from $4.41 to $2.80, but one cannot overlook the fact this future owner of critical infrastructure is still in the build-up phase. 

Underlying, this is how growth looks like on Canaccord Genuity's projections: 405% in FY17, 51% in FY18 and 119% in FY19.

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Ten days before Canaccord Genuity's initiation, analysts at RBC Capital released their update on demand for cloud services and cloud servicing infrastructure in Australia. Their conclusion: the local market is facing a shortfall, due to fast growing demand, and NextDC seems but poised to grab a big chunk of the demand coming to market.

RBC Capital has a price target for the stock of $5.50 (the highest I have seen to date) and the rating is Top Pick, which was re-iterated with the release of the report.

From the report: "We see NXT as being well positioned to capture significant upside from the substantial demand for data centre space coming to market in the next few years. We see recent concerns around over-capacity in Sydney and Melbourne as unjustified, especially in a geographical context, and expect NXT to surprise the market with positive news over the next 12 months as its 2's open".

Underpinning RBC Capital's positive view is that cloud computing services as an industry is projected to grow at 12-14% per annum over the medium term, while NextDC in a relative sense remains undervalued vis-a-vis international peers, despite a substantial revenue growth profile over the next five years, while the three new centres combined should add $1.50 per share in value for the company.

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It is always difficult to make too confident predictions in the face of adversity and share market silliness, but I had anticipated that a strong interim report in February would awaken the market's animal spirits and bring some mojo back for the NextDC share price. This is exactly what has occurred.

Consider that in February, prior to the result release, NextDC shares were seen hovering just above $3. They touched upon $4 by the end of March and have retreated somewhat since.

Having drawn valuable lessons from 2016, NextDC is no longer the largest holding in the Model Portfolio, but it remains a key holding and I continue to view its prospects in a positive light. Not everything that falls in price turns out a wonderful and attractive investment opportunity. Investors have once again been reminded of this fact by The Reject Shop's ((TRS)) profit warning on Friday.

I suggest, however, that if the share market for whatever reason again decides to abandon this future success story (it is but a small cap story, after all), you won't let the opportunity slip past.

In the meantime, it remains imperative that management continues to meet market expectations (as it has to date), in particular when building and setting up the additional centres which are scheduled for completion by mid-year (Brisbane and Melbourne) and later this calendar year (Sydney).

No Weekly Insights Next Week

Your Editor will take a break next week hence Weekly Insights will not be published in the week April 17-21. The next edition will be written and sent out on Monday 24th April to paying subscribers and published on Wednesday 26th April for non-paying members and other readers.

Conviction Calls: Morningstar, CLSA, Morgans, Moelis

Mining analysts at Morningstar, what most of us still remember as "Huntley's", are not siding with the market bulls on bulk commodities. Last week, Mathew Hodge and David Wang issued a report titled "False Dawn: The bulk commodity mining rally will prove short-lived".

The title essentially says it all. Market euphoria won't last. Chinese demand is credit-led, and thus temporary. Smaller, high cost producers are using the boost in prices to re-enter markets. Share prices look bloated. This is going to end in tears.

Central to Morningstar's thesis is the assessment that Chinese steel demand should already be in a down-trend. In 2016 Chinese authorities went against the grain by stimulating credit growth and this has created a contra-trend anomaly. Investors should not assume last year's market dynamics to last much longer.

Morningstar thinks -20% downside for the larger diversifieds Rio Tinto ((RIO)) and BHP Billiton ((BHP)) is not out of the question, while smaller single-commodity leveraged companies such as Fortescue Metals ((FMG)) and Whitehaven Coal ((WHC)) might well see their share prices deflate by some -50%, again.

Underlying such assessments is the prediction bulk commodity prices remain poised to trend back towards US$35/tonne for iron ore and US$80/tonne for metallurgical coal. Currently, these prices are closer to US$75/t and US$175/t respectively.

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Morningstar's view on commodities and on resources stocks might carry a lot of conviction, there remain plenty of opposing views in today's market. Mining analysts at CLSA, to name but one, updated their price projections and in almost every case the end result was for higher than previously assumed prices going forward.

No surprise thus, CLSA is advising its clientele to buy quality names on pullbacks. CLSA analysts agree with their peers at Morningstar there is the risk of "commodity prices normalisation", which effectively means euphoria leaves and prices revert back to levels that are more sustainable, and more aligned to ex-stimulus demand-supply balances. But they cannot get around the fact that miners such as BHP, Rio Tinto and others are generating so much cash. Balance sheets are being strengthened, there should be a treasure box of capital management opening up is the underlying prediction.

Balancing these pros and cons against each other, CLSA thus advises quality names should continue to perform well for loyal shareholders who stay the course. The analysts upgraded five stocks, including Fortescue Metals, but when it comes to quality names with the highest conviction there is only room for four names: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Alumina Ltd ((AWC)) and OZ Minerals ((OZL)).

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Miners swimming in cash is ultimately going to translate into new contracts being awarded to expand operations and develop new opportunities, says stockbroker Moelis. This certainly is not an outrageous call; mining services providers' share prices already have re-rated heavily, mostly on few indications as yet this process is by now well and truly under way.

Moelis' research indicates miners are poised to contract at least $2.4bn out in work for engineers and other services providers over the next three years. But competition for these contracts will be fierce, predict the analysts. This is not going to be a feeding frenzy for all that are still standing post what might well have been the worst sector correction ever in years past.

Moelis has used the occasion to initiate coverage on three stocks in the sector: Ausdrill ((ASL)), MACA Ltd ((MCD)) and NRW Holdings ((NWH)). In line with its rather tough assessment, only one of these three received a maiden Buy recommendation; Ausdrill.

Moelis' price target of $1.65 suggests double-digit return in the year ahead, while more benign forecasts for MACA and NRW Holdings mean both start on Hold. Moelis has a twelve month price target of $1.66 for the former and of $0.72 for the latter.

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Strategists at stockbroker Morgans prefer a more cautious stance. They see improving economic growth indicators and conditions across the globe, but also rising inflation and lots of political risks, starting with Trump in the USA. Morgans thus prefers to stay on the cautious side, in particular with elevated asset prices.

"Making bold portfolio decisions amid such uncertain conditions is a difficult and potentially hazardous exercise", says Morgans. The strategists have removed two stocks from the stockbroker's High Conviction List; South32 ((S32)) and Corporate Travel Management ((CTD)).

This leaves the following seven: ResMed ((RMD)), Orora ((ORA)), Macquarie Atlas Roads ((MQA)), Oil Search ((OSH)) among Top-100 stocks, plus Beacon Lighting ((BLX)), Bapcor ((BAP)) and Speedcast ((SDA)) outside the Top-100.

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For more updates on Conviction Calls: see the past five editions of Weekly Insights going back to early March. Past editions can be accessed through Rudi's Views on the website.

New Website: VIP Promotion For Subscribers

Paid subscribers to FNArena can visit My Account, which is located in the green rectangle at the very top, left, of the website, after logging on.

Here subscribers can update their email address and logon password, as well as find all basic details about their subscription, including the expiration date.

There's a reminder that all renewals prior to expiration attract a "loyalty discount" of $40 or $20 depending on whether 12 or 6 months are being added.

There is also an extra tab, VIP Promotion, containing the following explanation:

"When you introduce friends, colleagues and contacts to FNArena, make sure they nominate your email address when signing up for a free trial.

If at the end of the trial, one of your references takes up a paid subscription for 12 months, you both receive one month extra to your paid subscription term.

There are no limits to the number of people you can introduce to the FNArena service. Just make sure they don't forget to include your email address when signing up."

For more information about this VIP Promotion, send us an email at info@fnarena.com or send a message through the website (preferred).

Non-paying members can also refer friends and contacts under the same conditions. If contacts sign up, and they mentioned the referral's email address, both receive one month of extra access if at the end of the trial payment for a twelve month subscription follows.

2016 – L'Année Extraordinaire

It was quite the exceptional year, 2016, and I did grab the opportunity to write down my observations and offer investors today the opportunity to look back, relive the moments and draw some hard conclusions about investing in the world today.

If you are a paid subscriber to FNArena, and you still haven't downloaded your copy, all you have to do is visit the website, look up "Special Reports" and download your very own copy of "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Bear. Chronicles of 2016, A Veritable Year Extraordinaire" (in PDF).

For all others who still haven't been convinced, eBook copies are for sale on Amazon and many other online channels. You'll have to visit a foreign Amazon website to also find the print book version.
 

All-Weather Model Portfolio

In partnership with Queensland based Vested Equities, FNArena manages an All-Weather Model Portfolio based upon my post-GFC research. The idea is to offer diversification away from banks and resources stocks which are so dominant in Australia, while also providing ongoing real time evidence into the validity of my research into All-Weather Performers.

This All-Weather Model Portfolio is available through Self-Managed Accounts (SMAs) on the Praemium platform. For more info: info@fnarena.com

Rudi On TV

This week my appearances on the Sky Business channel are scheduled as follows:

-Tuesday around 11.15am, Skype-link to discuss broker calls
-Wednesday between 8-9pm, hosting Your Money, Your Call Equities
-Thursday, 12.00-2.00pm, co-host in the studio

Rudi On Tour

Your Editor has been invited to present at the Australian Shareholders Association's (ASA) 2017 Securing Your Investing Future Conference to be held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne from 15-16 May.

The conference details – www.australianshareholders.com.au/conference-2017

Speaker information – www.australianshareholders.com.au/speakers

Program information – www.australianshareholders.com.au/program

Those who register before 31 March 2017 will receive $70 off the registration fee. Telephone: 1300 368 448

(This story was written on Monday 10th April, 2016. It was published on the day in the form of an email to paying subscribers at FNArena).

(Do note that, in line with all my analyses, appearances and presentations, all of the above names and calculations are provided for educational purposes only. Investors should always consult with their licensed investment advisor first, before making any decisions. All views are mine and not by association FNArena's – see disclaimer on the website.

In addition, since FNArena runs a Model Portfolio based upon my research on All-Weather Performers it is more than likely that stocks mentioned are included in this Model Portfolio. For all questions about this: info@fnarena.com or via the direct messaging system on the website).

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BONUS PUBLICATIONS FOR FNARENA SUBSCRIBERS

Paid subscribers to FNArena (6 and 12 mnths) receive several bonus publications, at no extra cost, including:

– The AUD and the Australian Share Market (which stocks benefit from a weaker AUD, and which ones don't?)
– Make Risk Your Friend. Finding All-Weather Performers, January 2013 (The rationale behind investing in stocks that perform irrespective of the overall investment climate)
– Make Risk Your Friend. Finding All-Weather Performers, December 2014 (The follow-up that accounts for an ever changing world and updated stock selection)
– Change. Investing in a Low Growth World. eBook that sells through Amazon and other channels. Tackles the main issues impacting on investment strategies today and the world of tomorrow.
– Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Bear? eBook and Book (print) available through Amazon and other channels. Your chance to relive 2016, and become a wiser investor along the way.

Subscriptions cost $380 for twelve months or $210 for six and can be purchased here (depending on your status, a subscription to FNArena might be tax deductible): https://www.fnarena.com/index2.cfm?type=dsp_signup

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