Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Sick Chinese Pigs Driving Healthier Profits For BRF

I have been generally bullish on the turnaround plan underway at BRF SA (BRFS), as management is bringing a great deal more operating discipline to a company that has never had much of it. Add that enhanced discipline and a greater focus on bottom line profits to a business with strong domestic market share and an underrated Middle Eastern business, and that’s why I’ve been consistent in saying that a successful turnaround could drive a meaningfully higher share price for BRF down the road.

Along the way, though, the company has picked up an unexpected tailwind from a serious outbreak of African Swine Fever (or ASF) in China. This outbreak has led to a dramatic increase in food imports into China, boosting global prices, while BRF has also started seeing lower input costs.

The ASF outbreak won’t last forever, but it is effectively “free money” for BRF and will both accelerate the turnaround process and give management more flexibility in its strategy. The improved near-term outlook supports a fair value near the double-digits, but I believe the ASF outbreak will have to get worse to support a substantially higher near-term price, though the longer-term fair value of a successful turnaround is still higher than today’s price.

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Sick Chinese Pigs Driving Healthier Profits For BRF

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