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PP10551/09/2013 (032829) 27 Sep 2012 OSK Research | See important disclosures at the end of this report 1 MALAYSIA EQUITY Investment Research Daily IPO Note Astro Malaysia Holdings The Return of a Giant Astro Malaysia Holdings (AMH) is poised to list on Bursa’s Main Market on 19 Oct with a market cap of RM15.6bn. The largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia has a de facto monopoly, commanding a 99% market share. While its IPO valuation may not appear cheap initially, there is upside potential given: i) the existing low pay-TV penetration of 46%, ii) a potential uptick in ARPU as subscribers migrate to the HD platform, iii) its content superiority, and iv) the high entry barriers to the pay-TV industry due to the high capex. We recommend that investors SUBSRIBE for AMH’s IPO at our FCFF- based FV of RM3.37 (WACC: 8.45%, TG: 1.5%). Background. AMH is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia with 3.1m customers on board. Its closest competitor, Hypp TV, trails far behind with a <1% share of the pay-TV market. Currently, AMH broadcasts its content through three distribution channels: Direct-To- Home (DTH) satellite TV, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) service to deliver content directly to technology devices over broadband. Domestic arm of previously-listed AAAN. To put things in perspective, AMH is effectively Astro All Asia Networks’ (AAAN) media business arm in Malaysia. Recall that AAAN was taken private in 2010 by its single largest shareholder Astro Holdings SB. The takeover offer of RM4.30 per share translated into a P/BV of 9.3x, PE of 35.7x, or equivalent to an EV/EBITDA of 11.2x based on AAAN’s FY10 financials. Pay-TV penetration to improve. We see a large untapped potential in take-up by existing households as AMH’s pay-TV penetration rate now stands only at 46%. Management is in the midst of introducing more variety such as HD content, IPTV, prepaid packages and triple- play offerings to better meet the needs of its target customers. This targeted approach would help AMH penetrate into the currently-untapped 3.5m households, a majority of which are in the underserved Malay market. We expect the penetration rate to hit 50% by FY15. Monetising existing subscriber base. Meanwhile, management is looking to migrate its existing subscribers to the HD-enabled platform to enhance ARPU. An initial deadline of 2014 has been set to convert most of its legacy Set Top Boxes (STBs) to the HD-enabled Astro B.yond STBs. Given the increasing sales of HD-ready TV sets, which we found accounted for 90% of new TV purchases, we believe the target is achievable. For our model, we are forecasting an ARPU uplift of 6% from FY13-FY15. SUBSCRIBE. We derive an FV of RM3.37 (WACC: 8.45%, TG: 1.5%) for AMH, implying a valuation of 43x FY14 PE and 12.7x FY14 EV/EBITDA. This is justifiable as: i) AMH is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia, ii) there are high barriers of entry to the pay-TV industry, and iii) it has a superior content. Thus, with a 12.3% upside, we are recommending investors to SUBSCRIBE for the IPO. FYE Jan (RMm) FY11 FY12 FY13f FY14f FY15f Revenue 3,664.1 3,888.8 4,177.8 4,368.8 4,906.9 Core Profit 823.5 624.1 399.7 407.8 446.7 % chg y-o-y 34.1 -24.2 -36.0 2.0 9.5 Consensus - - - Core EPS (sen) 15.8 12.0 7.7 7.8 8.6 DPS (sen) 12.4 14.8 5.8 5.9 6.4 Dividend yield (%) 4.1 4.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 ROE (%) 71.6 129.2 79.0 67.1 62.1 ROA (%) 25.2 9.6 5.9 5.9 5.1 PER (x) 18.9 25.0 39.0 38.2 34.9 BV/share (sen) 22.1 9.3 9.7 11.7 13.8 P/BV (x) 13.5 32.3 30.8 25.7 21.7 EV/EBITDA (x) 11.5 13.3 11.8 11.4 10.2 SUBSCRIBE RM3.00 Fair Value RM3.37 Enlarged Share Capital / Par Value 5,197.3m / RM0.10 Indicative Listing Date 19 October 2012 Listing Sought Main Market Shariah Compliant NO Major Shareholders (post - IPO) (%) Astro Networks (M) SB 70.8 IPO Details Shares (m) Public Issue Public tranche 160.1 Eligible directors & employees 99.8 Institutional investors 214.4 Offer for sale MITI tranche 597.7 Institutional investors 446.3 Existing Shares 3,679.0 Total 5,197.3 Utilisation of Proceeds RMm Repayment of banks borrowings 500.0 Capital expenditure 750.0 Working capital 112.9 Estimated listing expenses 60.0 Total 1,422.9 IPO Price Kong Heng Siong +60 (3) 9207 7666 [email protected] Chan Jit Hoong +60 (3) 9207 7686 [email protected] MEDIA

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Page 1: Astro Malaysia Holdings_IPO Note_The Return of a Giant_20120927_OSK

PP10551/09/2013 (032829)

27 Sep 2012

OSK Research | See important disclosures at the end of this report

1

MALAYSIA EQUITY Investment Research

Daily

IPO Note

Astro Malaysia Holdings The Return of a Giant Astro Malaysia Holdings (AMH) is poised to list on Bursa’s Main Market on 19 Oct with a market cap of RM15.6bn. The largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia has a de facto monopoly, commanding a 99% market share. While its IPO valuation may not appear cheap initially, there is upside potential given: i) the existing low pay-TV penetration of 46%, ii) a potential uptick in ARPU as subscribers migrate to the HD platform, iii) its content superiority, and iv) the high entry barriers to the pay-TV industry due to the high capex. We recommend that investors SUBSRIBE for AMH’s   IPO   at   our   FCFF-based FV of RM3.37 (WACC: 8.45%, TG: 1.5%). Background. AMH is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia with 3.1m customers on board. Its closest competitor, Hypp TV, trails far behind with a <1% share of the pay-TV market. Currently, AMH broadcasts its content through three distribution channels: Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite TV, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) service to deliver content directly to technology devices over broadband. Domestic arm of previously-listed AAAN. To put things in perspective, AMH is effectively Astro  All   Asia  Networks’   (AAAN)  media   business   arm   in  Malaysia.  Recall   that   AAAN  was  taken private in 2010 by its single largest shareholder Astro Holdings SB. The takeover offer of RM4.30 per share translated into a P/BV of 9.3x, PE of 35.7x, or equivalent to an EV/EBITDA  of  11.2x  based  on  AAAN’s  FY10  financials.   Pay-TV penetration to improve. We see a large untapped potential in take-up by existing households as AMH’s  pay-TV penetration rate now stands only at 46%. Management is in the midst of introducing more variety such as HD content, IPTV, prepaid packages and triple-play offerings to better meet the needs of its target customers. This targeted approach would help AMH penetrate into the currently-untapped 3.5m households, a majority of which are in the underserved Malay market. We expect the penetration rate to hit 50% by FY15. Monetising existing subscriber base. Meanwhile, management is looking to migrate its existing subscribers to the HD-enabled platform to enhance ARPU. An initial deadline of 2014 has been set to convert most of its legacy Set Top Boxes (STBs) to the HD-enabled Astro B.yond STBs. Given the increasing sales of HD-ready TV sets, which we found accounted for 90% of new TV purchases, we believe the target is achievable. For our model, we are forecasting an ARPU uplift of 6% from FY13-FY15. SUBSCRIBE. We derive an FV of RM3.37 (WACC: 8.45%, TG: 1.5%) for AMH, implying a valuation of 43x FY14 PE and 12.7x FY14 EV/EBITDA. This is justifiable as: i) AMH is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia, ii) there are high barriers of entry to the pay-TV industry, and iii) it has a superior content. Thus, with a 12.3% upside, we are recommending investors to SUBSCRIBE for the IPO.

FYE Jan (RMm) FY11 FY12 FY13f FY14f FY15f Revenue 3,664.1 3,888.8 4,177.8 4,368.8 4,906.9 Core Profit 823.5 624.1 399.7 407.8 446.7 % chg y-o-y 34.1 -24.2 -36.0 2.0 9.5 Consensus - - - Core EPS (sen) 15.8 12.0 7.7 7.8 8.6 DPS (sen) 12.4 14.8 5.8 5.9 6.4 Dividend yield (%) 4.1 4.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 ROE (%) 71.6 129.2 79.0 67.1 62.1 ROA (%) 25.2 9.6 5.9 5.9 5.1 PER (x) 18.9 25.0 39.0 38.2 34.9 BV/share (sen) 22.1 9.3 9.7 11.7 13.8 P/BV (x) 13.5 32.3 30.8 25.7 21.7 EV/EBITDA (x) 11.5 13.3 11.8 11.4 10.2

SUBSCRIBE

RM3.00 Fair Value RM3.37

Enlarged Share Capital / Par Value 5,197.3m / RM0.10

Indicative Listing Date 19 October 2012

Listing Sought Main Market

Shariah Compliant NO Major Shareholders (post - IPO) (%) Astro Networks (M) SB 70.8

IPO Details Shares (m) Public Issue Public tranche 160.1 Eligible directors & employees 99.8 Institutional investors 214.4 Offer for sale MITI tranche 597.7 Institutional investors 446.3 Existing Shares 3,679.0 Total 5,197.3

Utilisation of Proceeds RMm Repayment of banks borrowings

500.0

Capital expenditure 750.0 Working capital 112.9 Estimated listing expenses 60.0

Total 1,422.9

IPO Price

Kong Heng Siong

+60 (3) 9207 7666

[email protected]

Chan Jit Hoong

+60 (3) 9207 7686

[email protected]

MEDIA

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COMPANY BACKGROUND Malaysia’s  largest pay-TV operator. AMH is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia. With 3.1m residential

customers  on  board,   it   enjoys   the  privilege  of   having  a  de   facto  monopoly  over  Malaysia’s  pay-TV space, commanding a market share of over 99%. Its sole competitor at this point of time, Telekom  Malaysia’s  (TM)  Hypp TV, has the remaining 1% share. Currently, AMH hosts 156 TV channels, of which 68 are self-created and branded. These channels are distributed via three methods: Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite TV, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) service to deliver content directly to technology devices over broadband.

Figure 1: Packages on Astro pay-TV

Source: AMH

Exclusive licence until 2017. AMH first secured the broadcasting license to provide DTH satellite TV services in Malaysia in 1997 for a 25-year tenure. Under the licensing agreement, it is granted exclusivity until 2017. Over the years, the group launched various packages which include Astro On Demand and Astro First, both being its video-on-demand packages. In 2009, it launched Astro B.yond, a hybrid DTH satellite TV and broadband-enabled Set Top Box (STB) to provide High Definition (HD) broadcasting services. Subsequently in 2011, the group partnered TIME dotcom (TDC) to deliver its pay-TV services through  TDC’s   fibre  optic  broadband, marking its maiden entry into the IPTV space. On top of that, AMH is now working with Maxis to offer its Astro B.yond IPTV services through  the  latter’s  extensive  fibre  network  coverage.  On  a  side  note, it also launched its first-of-its-kind NJOI package, a non-subscription based DTH satellite TV service, back in February.

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A presence in radio and publications too. On top of that, AMH is also involved in the radio and publication businesses, although both segments are relatively insignificant compared to its TV segment, jointly contributing 7.2% to the  group’s  consolidated   topline. Its radio division comprises nine commercial and 11 direct-to-user stations covering all four major languages in Malaysia – English, Malay, Chinese and Indian. According to Nielsen Media, AMH captures 13m weekly listeners with a 52% share of listenership in Malaysia. Meanwhile, its publication arm carries seven titles with a combined circulation of approximately 1.7m as of 2010.

Figure 2: AMH’s  radio  channels

Source: AMH

Management  team  spearheaded  by  Dato’  Rohana.  AMH’s  management  team is  led  by  CEO  Dato’  Rohana Tan Sri Datuk Rozhan, who has been with AMH and AMH-related entities since 1995. According to the company’s  prospectus,  Dato’  Rohana  will  be  rewarded  with  RM19.5m  worth  of  AMH  shares  vested  over  the  next five years as a token of appreciation for successfully taking the company public.

Figure 3: Key management team

Source: AMH

Individual Position

Dato' Rohana binti Tan Sri Datuk Haji Rozhan Chief Executive Officer

Ahmad Fuaad bin Mohd Kenali Chief Financial Officer

Henry Tan Poh Hock Chief Operating Officer

Brian Wendell Lenz Chief Innovation Officer

Liew Sw ee Lin Chief Commercial Officer

Kong Futt Fong Chief Contracting Officer

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IPO details. AMH’s   proposed   IPO   exercise   involves   the   issuance   of   474.3m   new   shares   and   sale   of  1,044.0m existing shares held by its single largest shareholder Astro Holdings SB. At the indicative IPO price of RM3.00/share, this could potentially raise RM1,422.9m, the bulk of which will be utilised to repay bank borrowings as well as for future capex, which involves pushing out its B.yond STBs to more households. The company would be officially listed on Bursa on 19 Oct.

Figure 4: AMH’s  IPO  structure

Source: AMH

Figure 5: Utilisation of IPO proceeds

Source: AMH

Overseas operations stripped off. To put things into perspective, AMH is effectively Astro All Asia Networks’  (AAAN)  media  business  arm  in  Malaysia.  AAAN  was  listed  on  Bursa  in  2003 but in 2010, its single largest shareholder Astro Holdings SB proposed to take private the entire company at RM4.30/share. The pegged valuation translated into a P/BV of 9.3x, PE of 35.7x, or equivalent to an EV/EBITDA of 11.2x based on  AAAN’s  FY10  financials.  Subsequently,  AAAN  was  delisted  from  the  Main  Market  in  June  2010.

Public issue (m shares) Offer for sale (m shares)

Public 103.9

Eligible directors and employees 99.8

Institutional investors 214.4 1044.0

Astro subscribers 56.1

Total 474.3 1044.0

Details of utilization Estimated timeframe (months) RM (m)

Repayment of bank borrow ings 12 500.0

Capital expenditure 36 750.0

Working capital 24 112.9

Estimated listing expenses 3 60.0

Total 1422.9

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Shareholding structure post-IPO. Post-listing, Astro Networks (Malaysia) would remain as the single largest shareholder of AMH, holding a 70.8% stake in its enlarged share capital. A moratorium is set at six months after the listing. According to the prospectus, 22 cornerstone investors have been secured thus far. Some of the more prominent names include Great Eastern Life Assurance, PNB, Caprice Capital International which is controlled by Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, Kencana Capital, Tan Sri Chua Ma Yu, and Corston-Smith Asset Management. From our understanding, there is no moratorium set on invested amount for the first USD15m and a 3-month moratorium for any invested amount beyond the first USD15m.

Figure 6: AMH’s  shareholding  structure  post  IPO

Source: AMH

Figure 7: AMH’s  cornerstone investors

Source: AMH

70.8%

29.2%

Astro Networks (Malaysia) Others

Cornerstone Investors

Antelle Holdings Nomura Asset Management Malaysia

Areca Capital OZ Asia Master Fund

Azentus Global Opportunities Master Fund OZ ELS Master Fund

Caprice Capital International OZ Eureka Fund

Corston-Smith Asset Management OZ Global Special Investments Master Fund

Gordel Capital OZ Master Fund

Great Easter Life Assurance (Malaysia) PNB

Kencana Capital Standard Pacif ic Vapital

Libra Invest Tan Sri Dato' Chua Ma Yu

Myriad Opportunities Master Fund TPG-Axon International

Universities Superannuation Scheme TPG-Axon Partners

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FINANCIALS Revenue driven by pay-TV. AMH’s   topline   chalked   up   a  decent  CAGR  of   9.5% over the last three FYs,

driven by its pay-TV segment which grew 9.0% p.a. over the period. We attribute this to its enlarged subscriber base, which grew from 2.9m in FY10 to 3.1m as of FY12, coupled with the up-selling of its existing offerings to monetise on higher ARPU. This is evident in the slight uptick in ARPU from RM82 in FY10 to RM89  in  FY12,  as  AMH’s  HD  subscriber  numbers  grew  from  24k  in  FY10  to  772k  in  FY12.  

Figure 8: AMH’s  historical  revenue  breakdown  (RMm)

Source: AMH

Figure 9: Number of pay-TV subscribers (m) and HD take-ups (m) against ARPU (RM)

Source: AMH

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Improved EBITDA... By the same token, EBITDA closed FY12 at a high of RM1,414.7m, partly driven by lower operating expenditures due to the reduction in the deployment of Standard Definition (SD) STBs following the introduction of Astro B.yond STBs. The costs of the Astro B.yond STBs are capitalised and depreciated over their economic useful life of three years, as opposed to SD STBs which are typically expensed out upon installation. The EBITDA margin, however, eased 100bps from FY11 to close at 36.4% owing to higher administrative expenses.

...but EBIT dented by higher depreciation charges. That said, FY12 EBIT closed 7.2% lower y-o-y at RM990.4m with a corresponding 360bps decline in margin as the rolling out of HD STBs triggered an increase   in  AMH’s   depreciation   expenses,  which   in   turn   jumped   by   40.3%  over   the   period.   This  was   also  partly due to the marginal increase in subscriber acquisition costs, which went up from RM630 in FY11 to RM636 in   FY12   as   the   group   stepped   up   its  marketing   campaign   to   entice   customers’   take-up of its HD packages.

Figure 10: AMH’s  EBITDA and EBIT (RMm) against respective margins (%)

Source: AMH

Figure 11: AMH’s  historical operating expenses breakdown (RMm)

Source: AMH

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Profitability dented by rising financing costs. Higher financing costs, which escalated >100% y-o-y to RM194.7m following the drawdown of RM3,004.6m in borrowings in FY12 ate into profitability, with FY12 net profit closing 24.2% lower y-o-y  at  RM624.1m.  The   financing  undertaken  was  part  of  AAAN’s   restructuring  scheme  to  consolidate  its  Malaysia’s  broadcasting  business  under  AMH.  

Figure 12: AMH’s  PBT  and  net  profit  (RMm)  against  finance  income  and finance costs (RMm)

Source: AMH

Net gearing at 6.7x. Based  on  AMH’s  pro-forma accounts, its cash balance stood at RM478.2m, with total borrowings of RM3,709.9m as of January 2012. This translates into a net gearing of over 6.7x, which seems high at first glance. If we were to include the IPO proceeds, however,  AMH’s  net  gearing  would  drop  to  an  estimated 0.9x, which we believe should not pose significant liquidity issues given the strong cash flow generation nature of the business with receivable days of approximately 70 days.

Beefing up satellite capacity. AMH is currently operating on two satellites, namely the MEASAT-3 and MEASAT-3A which began commercial operations in February 2007 and July 2009 respectively. These satellites have a life expectancy of 15 years, with operations to cease by 2021 and 2024 respectively. Based on AMH’s  contracted  capacity of 11 and six Ku-band transponders on the respective satellites, the group has the capacity to broadcast up to 179 TV channels, including 36 HD channels, over its DTH satellite platform. For future expansion, AMH have agreed to lease an additional 18 Ku-band transponders on MEASAT-3B for a total of USD538m. The satellite is expected to be launch in 2014. This will push up its capacity to 180 SD and 102 HD channels.

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CATALYSTS Plenty of upside at current penetration rate. Though  Malaysia’s  population is likely to grow at low single

digits of 1.5%-2.0%  p.a.,  we  see  plenty  untapped  potential  in  the  existing  households  given  that  AMH’s  pay-TV penetration rate now stands only at 46%. Leveraging on its multi-pronged approach by customising its packages   to  meet   its   target   customers’   different   requirements,  AMH  now  offers   a   variety   of   products   from  NJOI prepaid services, post-paid packages, video-on-demand on Astro-On-Demand and Astro First to its triple-play IPTV service in partnership with TDC and Maxis. We believe this targeted approach will help AMH to penetrate into the currently-untapped 3.5m households, a large portion of which are in the underserved Malay market.

Figure 13: AMH’s  penetration  rate  (%)  against  Malaysia’s  number  of  households  (m)

Source: AMH

The most underserved segment. We believe AMH’s   latest  pay-TV package NJOI could help it penetrate into the most underserved Malay segment, which registered the lowest viewership rating of 61% as of FY12, according to its data compilation. Targeted at lower-income households, this product offer subscribers the flexibility of purchasing prepaid content, albeit at a slight premium relative to normal post-paid packages. As a majority of the Malay population is centred in rural areas, which typically have lower income per capita, this strategy could help AMH improve its penetration into the Malay pay-TV market. Moreover, the group has been ramping up its in-house  content  creation  to  better  attract  viewers’   interests.  For   instance,   its   in-house programs Akademi Fantasia and Raja Lawak are among the most viewed shows with peak viewers of >1m . While ARPU may experience some downward pressure from these lower-commitment packages, we believe the potential increment in its subscribers’   base   could   more   than   offset   the potential negative impact by expanding AMH’s  target  market  reach  and  hence,  expand  its earnings base in the long run.

Figure 14: AMH’s  viewership  rating  by  ethnic  group

Source: AMH

43%

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No. of households (m) (LHS) PayTV Penetration (%) (RHS)

FY10 FY11 FY12

Malays 57% 58% 61%

Chinese 85% 87% 87%

Indians 93% 94% 93%

Average 70% 70% 71%

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Tie-ups with Maxis and TDC could prove fruitful. To enlarge its footprint in the IPTV space, AMH has partnered with TDC and Maxis to deliver its pay-TV services through the duo’s  fibre  optic  network. This would increase its IPTV distribution reach to over 1.3m households by the end of this year. According to the proposed 10-year arrangement with Maxis, the telco company would become the exclusive fibre network partner   for   AMH   excluding   the   areas   within   TDC’s   fibre   footprint.  While   we   believe   take-ups for its IPTV service would likely remain insignificant over the immediate term, this is as a good start as the IPTV platform offers a cheaper and more efficient alternative to broadcast its content than the conventional satellite method and thereby capitalise on the growing fibre backhaul that the telcos have invested in. Offering triple-play packages by bundling broadband, voice and IPTV services could stir new interest as it is a one-stop-for-all value proposition to consumers. On a side note, IPTV could also help to eliminate the issue of rain-fade i.e. satellite signal interruptions during heavy downpours.

ARPU to tick up. Meanwhile, we also  expect  AMH’s  ARPU  to  trend  upwards  over  the  near  term  due  to  the  up-selling of its HD offerings to existing customers. To recap, a subscriber would have to pay an additional RM20 per month for HD services and an extra RM10 per month for Personal Video Recording. We believe this could help to mitigate the potential downward pressure on ARPU from the launching of its prepaid NJOI package and to sustain its ARPU growth at 2%-3% over the next three years.

Figure 15: AMH’s  pay-TV and HD subscribers (m) against current HD penetration rate (%)

Source: AMH

Adex share could catch up. Although AMH commands 39% in terms of TV viewership, its share of adex trailed at 26% of the total national adex. We attribute this to its below-average viewership among the Malay segment, which most likely kept advertisers away. With the launching of NJOI and hence the potential penetration into the Malay TV viewers market, this may potentially lift its TV adex income, which was at RM251.5m as of FY12. Assuming  AMH’s  share  of  TV  adex  goes  on par with its viewership at 39%, this could potentially boost its core earnings by RM150m-RM200m p.a.

Figure 16: AMH’s  TV  adex  share  and  TV  viewership

Source: AMH

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2011 TV adex share TV viewershipRTM 11% 14%Media Prima 64% 47%Astro 26% 39%

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VALUATION & RECOMMENDATION Key assumptions to our financial forecast. Notable takeaways from AMH’s 1HFY13 financial results were:

i) revenue grew by 13% y-o-y on the back of higher ARPU and rising pay-TV subscription, ii) rising content cost, license fees, marketing and distribution expenses crimped the EBITDA margin by 630bps, and iii) the bottom-line fell sharply by 41% y-o-y owing to higher finance costs.  With   that,   we   are   forecasting   AMH’s  FY13-FY15 revenue to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% as its pay-TV subscriber base is expected to increase by 530k during the period. We are also projecting an incremental ARPU of RM5.60 given the higher take-up for its premium HD services. On the other hand, its core PATAMI is expected to decline this year (-36% y-o-y), observing the hike in depreciation and amortisation charges along with higher marketing expenses; this is a spill over effect from FY12, as AMH had already been aggressively rolling out the installation of their HD STBs. Moving forward, the company’s  bottom-line is poised to resume its growth projection after front-loading most of these costs in FY12-FY13.

We understand in FY15, AMH has agreed to lease 18 Ku-band transponders on MEASAT-3B for a total of RM1,614m (USD538m) in order to increase its broadcasting capacity to 180 SD and 102 HD channels. As a result, we have incorporated higher capex spending in our financial model. We have also assumed higher ARPU and pay-TV penetration in FY15 to reflect a higher take-up for HD services.

Figure 17: Key assumptions and forecasts

Source: OSK Research, AMH

Figure 18: AMH’s  satellite  information

Source: AMH

FYE Jan (RMm) FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13f FY14f FY15fRevenue 3,242.3 3,664.1 3,888.8 4,177.8 4,368.8 4,906.9- TV segment 3,038.8 3,444.1 3,609.7 3,913.6 4,092.6 4,596.6- Radio segment 176.9 175.3 199.4 205.5 214.9 241.3- Others 26.7 44.7 79.7 58.7 61.4 68.9EBITDA 986.2 1,369.8 1,414.7 1,449.7 1,498.4 1,785.5Core PATAMI 614.1 823.5 624.1 399.7 407.8 446.7

y-o-y growth %Revenue 13.0% 6.1% 7.4% 4.6% 12.3%- TV segment 13.3% 4.8% 8.4% 4.6% 12.3%- Radio segment -0.9% 13.8% 3.0% 4.6% 12.3%- Others 67.6% 78.4% -26.4% 4.6% 12.3%EBITDA 38.9% 3.3% 2.5% 3.4% 19.2%Core PATAMI 34.1% -24.2% -36.0% 2.0% 9.5%

ARPU (RM) 82.0 85.0 89.0 92.1 93.0 97.7y-o-y growth % 3.7% 4.7% 3.5% 1.0% 5.0%

Pay-TV residential Subs (m) 2.93 2.93 3.07 3.24 3.36 3.60Net add (m) 0.00 0.14 0.18 0.12 0.24y-o-y growth % 0.0% 4.6% 5.7% 3.6% 7.1%

Pay-TV penetration (%) 47% 45% 46% 47% 48% 50%

Capex (RM) 620.9 549.5 545.0 750.0 750.0 2364.0

Satellite No. of transponders Period (years) Commenced Fee (USD m)

MEASAT-3 13 14.5 Aug-07 378.2

MEASAT-3A 6 15 Jul-09 184.9

MEASAT-3B 18 15 N.A. 538

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Targeting 75% payout. AMH targets to pay out at least 75% of its net earnings starting from FY13. Although this translates into an unexciting yield of 1.9% p.a. based on our assumptions, we see potential for more post-FY15, after the group finalises the migration from SD STBs to HD STBs. Based on our calculations, AMH could pay out up to 6.4sen p.a. based on normalised earnings of RM446.7m p.a. after it completes its STB migration and procures more satellite transponder capacity from MEASAT-3B.

SUBSCRIBE, with a 12.3% upside. We derive a FV of RM3.37 for AMH, using the FCFF methodology (WACC: 8.45%, TG: 1.5%), implying 43x FY14 PE and 12.7x FY14 EV/EBITDA. We justify the valuation based on the fact that AMH: i) is the largest pay-TV operator in Malaysia, commanding the   lion’s  share  of  over 99%, ii) has economies of scale and a de facto monopoly  over  Malaysia’s pay-TV market, which create significant barriers to entry, and iii) has superior content spread over 156 TV channels, of which 68 are self-created and branded. Thus, in view of the 12.3% upside, we are recommending investors to SUBSCRIBE for the IPO.

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RISKS Hypp could live up to the hype. At  this  juncture,  TM’s  Hypp  TV  is  AMH’s  sole  competitor.  Hypp  TV  is  an  

IPTV   service   launched   in   conjunction   with   TM’s   fibre   optic   service   named   Unifi.   To   recap,   every   Unifi  subscriber is entitled to a free Hypp TV subscription, accessing 19 free channels in its basic package. These subscribers can opt for the premium packages, with a certain monthly commitment. As of 2QCY12, Unifi has 384k subscribers; less than a fifth of these are currently on regular subscriptions for Hypp TV. While we do not  expect  TM’s offerings  to  threaten  AMH’s  products  in  the  near  term,  we  do  not  discount  the  possibility  of  a  potential price war as Unifi is targeted to be taken up in 1.3m homes by the end of 2012.

More competition likely. On top of that, we are expecting more players to emerge within the pay-TV universe over the next three to five years. For instance, the Datuk Kenneth Eswaran-led Asia Broadcasting Network has announced plans to launch a cable service as early as 1HCY13. There is talk that the group is looking to allocate some RM2bn in capex to ramp up its operations. On top of that, five other competitors have obtained licences to provide pay-TV services, although none are currently active.

Figure 19: Pay-TV licence holders

Source: OSK Research, AMH

Proliferation of illegal satellite dishes. On the other hand, we noticed that the installation of illegal satellite dishes have become increasingly prevalent especially in the rural areas. We understand that these devices typically cost around RM200-RM300 with no monthly commitments upon installation. Depending on the variants, some users claimed to be able to receive as much as 300 channels. Given the much cheaper price point, this could potentially  impede  AMH’s  subscribers’  growth  unless  proper  enforcement  is  in  place.

Figure 20: Sample of illegal satellites

Source: OSK Research, Google

Players Description

DE Multimedia Launched in 2010 by REDtone and Zhong Nan Enterprise; Focus on Chinese segment

DMD Fone Unconfirmed infrastructure; Unknow n launch date

MahaSemerak IPTV; Unconfirmed infrastructure; Unknow n launch date

VassetiDatatech IPTV; Self-ow ned fibre; To launch by end-2012

YTL Communications IPTV; WiMAX netw ork; To launch by end-2012

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IPTV-enabled STBs picking up, too. Other than that, we also noticed a lot of IPTV-enabled STBs currently being sold in the legal market. These devices, typically manufactured in China, cost between RM300-RM400 and do not require monthly subscriptions for channel viewing. Users connect the STB to a high-speed modem preferably with a broadband speed of >4Mbps, and to a TV set to enable video streaming. The device usually comes bundled with set of IP addresses which enables reception of channels in different countries. Given the much cheaper price point and coupled with the fact that it is legal,   this   could   potentially   impede   AMH’s  subscribers’  growth  going forward.

Figure 21: Sample of IPTV-enabled STBs

Source: OSK Research, Google

DTT could signal new competition. Malaysian Communications   and  Multimedia  Commission,  Malaysia’s  regulator of the multimedia industry, earlier called for a tender for the deployment of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) infrastructure following the proposal for an analogue switch-off by 2015. The tender is to appoint a single entity to build the DTT infrastructure, and subsequently lease it out to TV broadcasters. With the deployment expected to commence as soon as end-2013, RTM and Media Prima have committed to air their respective channels through the said platform, which is widely believed to be able to accommodate up to 18 HD and 40-50 SD channels. Should this project (which we believe to cost around RM1bn) be implemented, we foresee stiffer competition ahead for AMH given that digital TV technology allows for content compression and hence, can accommodate a higher number of channels on the airwaves.

Figure 22: Potential bidders of DTT infrastructure

Source: OSK Research, AMH

Parties rumored to be potential bidders

Telekom Malaysia

Usaha Tegas

Sapura

Celcom Axiata

Puncak Semangat

KUB Malaysia

REDtone International

YTL Group

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FYE Jan (RMm) FY11 FY12 FY13f FY14f FY15f Turnover 3,664.1 3,888.8 4,177.8 4,368.8 4,906.9 EBITDA 1,369.8 1,414.7 1,449.7 1,498.4 1,785.5 PBT 1,090.5 864.3 551.7 562.8 616.5 Core Profit 823.5 624.1 399.7 407.8 446.7 Core EPS (sen) 15.8 12.0 7.7 7.8 8.6 DPS (sen) 12.4 14.8 5.8 5.9 6.4 Margin EBITDA (%) 37.4 36.4 34.7 34.3 36.4 PBT (%) 29.8 22.2 13.2 12.9 12.6 Core Profit (%) 22.5 16.0 9.6 9.3 9.1 ROE (%) 71.6 129.2 79.0 67.1 62.1 ROA (%) 25.2 9.6 5.9 5.9 5.1 Balance Sheet Fixed Assets 1,695.9 5,107.8 3,684.7 3,720.0 5,227.1 Current Assets 1,573.5 1,406.0 3,065.6 3,187.2 3,550.6 Total Assets 3,269.4 6,513.8 6,750.3 6,907.3 8,777.8 Current Liabilities 1,047.5 1,776.9 1,967.0 2,040.8 2,255.4 Net Current Assets 526.0 -370.9 1,098.6 1,146.4 1,295.3 LT Liabilities 1,070.9 4,245.5 4,266.0 4,244.1 5,785.0 Shareholders Funds 1,150.9 482.9 505.7 607.7 719.3 Net Gearing (%) 14.4 669.2 308.2 234.7 365.3

EARNINGS FORECAST

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OSK Research Guide to Investment Ratings Buy: Share price may exceed 10% over the next 12 months Trading Buy: Share price may exceed 15% over the next 3 months, however longer-term outlook remains uncertain Neutral: Share price may fall within the range of +/- 10% over the next 12 months Take Profit: Target price has been attained. Look to accumulate at lower levels Sell: Share price may fall by more than 10% over the next 12 months Not Rated (NR): Stock is not within regular research coverage

All research is based on material compiled from data considered to be reliable at the time of writing. However, information and opinions expressed will be subject to change at short notice, and no part of this report is to be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to transact any securities or financial instruments whether referred to herein or otherwise. We do not accept any liability directly or indirectly that may arise from investment decision-making based on this report. The company, its directors, officers, employees and/or connected persons may periodically hold an interest and/or underwriting commitments in the securities mentioned.

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This research report produced by OSK Research Sdn Bhd is distributed in Singapore only to "Institutional Investors", "Expert Investors" or "Accredited Investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Act, CAP. 289 of Singapore. If you are not an "Institutional Investor", "Expert Investor" or "Accredited Investor", this research report is not intended for you and you should disregard this research report in its entirety. In respect of any matters arising from, or in connection with, this research report, you are to contact our Singapore Office, DMG & Partners Securities Pte Ltd ("DMG").

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