Monday, March 2, 2020

HollySys Gaining Share In Automation, But Volatility, Execution, And Covid-19 Remain Risks

The HollySys (HOLI) story is no less frustrating than it was a quarter ago, as the company posted mixed fiscal second quarter results, but also appeared to continue to gain share in China’s process automation market. Margins may well remain under pressure for some time, as the company continues to show a willingness to trade margins for market share in automation and as it continues to reinvest in R&D in both the automation and rail businesses.

As for the shares, they continue to look undervalued, with the stock at a five-year low in terms of price/book and EV/EBITDA. This is a profitable business that consistently generates solid free cash flow and sports a healthy balance sheet. Still, it is not particularly well-followed, it’s not particularly large, and the company’s performance has been erratic (and communication with investors has been far less than perfect). Investors attracted to the story and low apparent valuation would do well to at least be aware of the “value trap” risk here, even though the company is leveraged to some attractive trends, including a growing emphasis on self-sufficiency within China’s automation market.

Read more here:
HollySys Gaining Share In Automation, But Volatility, Execution, And Covid-19 Remain Risks

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