Stock views on Tata Power, ICICI Bank, Siemens India,

MERILL Lynch on RELIANCE INDUSTRIES

MERILL Lynch has cut its price objective on Reliance Industries (RIL) by 15% from Rs 1,825 to Rs 1,555 based on sum of the parts valuation. However, it continues to retain its ‘buy’ on the stock. The brokerage says that the cut is due to cut in the value of its refining business and value of its investment in RPL. The former has been cut by 56% to Rs 168 per share and the latter by 39% to Rs 137 per share. “We have steeply cut Singapore complex refining margins forecast for financial year (FY) 2010 and 2011 (expected). Consequently, refining margins of Reliance Industries (RIL) and refining subsidiary Reliance Petroleum (RPL), too, have been steeply cut,” the report said. The cut is relatively modest assuming a weaker rupee, it adds. RIL’s presence in E&P and petrochemicals also helped dilute impact of refining margin cut on RIL. The report says that the key risks include failure in the retail business, and changes in government policies like withdrawal of the tax holiday which may have a direct impact on the business, cash flow and profit, among other things.


Enam Securities on SIEMENS INDIA

Enam Securities has put an ‘underperformer’ on Siemens India on lower-than-expected results and poor performance by its subsidiaries. The brokerage says that Siemens’ continuing engineering businesses — power, industry and transportation are showing signs of slowing. The IT business is unlikely to create value for the shareholders. “We are revising our earnings estimates downward by 31% to Rs 18.5 to account for slowing business traction. We downgrade the stock to sector underperformer,” the report says. It adds that the management of the company has hinted at delays in contract finalisation and contract renegotiations at lower prices by customers due to the decline in commodity prices. The management believes that the power division will be a key growth driver, driven by strong growth in domestic market and huge opportunity in the Middle East. “Going forward, the management would be focusing on the quality and profitability of order rather than size and volume of the project,” says the report.


BNP Paribas Securities on ICICI BANK


BNP Paribas Securities has maintained its ‘buy’ rating on ICICI Banks on account of bank’s strategy of consciously slowing down on growth in riskier categories. The brokerage house says, “Our analysis of incremental advances — broken into mortgage, non-collateralised retail and corporate loans — vis-`-vis the incremental gross nonperforming loans (NPLs) additions indicates that bank’s strategy of consciously slowing down on growth in riskier categories has started yielding results.” It expects a slowdown in rate of growth of non-collateralised NPLs over the next two quarters, although in absolute terms, incremental NPLs will continue in the Rs 3-4-billion-perquarter range as at present. The brokerage says that the bank trades at one time its financial year 2010 (expected) book value at its target price of Rs 620. “We use a three-stage residual income valuation to arrive at our core bank target price of Rs 475 and a sum-of-the-parts approach to arrive at Rs 145 per share for subsidiaries. Our aggregate target price for ICICI Bank is Rs 620.”


Indiabulls on TATA POWER


Indiabulls has upgraded its rating on private power sector major Tata Power from ‘hold’ to ‘buy’. The brokerage is upbeat about the company’s future on the back of its upcoming projects. It believes that the existing power generation and distribution businesses and stable revenue-generating subsidiaries provide stability to the company. “Based on our SOTP valuation, we have arrived at a target price of Rs 872. It says that stock price has corrected sharply since our last quarterly report, and it is undervalued at the current market price. It, however, adds that the company may find it difficult to finance its other expansion plans. But due to its experienced management team, it is expected to tide over the current crisis. It adds that any delay in completion of the Maithon and Mundra power projects would adversely affect company’s rating