Markets indeed move quicker than most anticipate, and I can say the same for the common shares of Davis + Henderson (TSX: DH) as I have unloaded them today for a mild profit. Readers may recall my entry into the former income trust units, and partial sale in October of last year.
I have no concerns with the underlying business – although I have concerns with the speed of their acquisitions – it assumes that management can execute on proper integration. The balance sheet of DH is less than stellar, with about negative $224 million in tangible equity, but their debt levels (about $200 million in low cost debt) is manageable in relation to their cash flows (due for about $100 million after CapEx in the 2010 year). They will be giving off about $100 million in distributions to income trust holders in 2010, however. In 2011 the situation will change somewhat as they reduce distributions by 35% and will also incur an income tax (which will cut their cash flows by about 27-28%).
Most people will look at the headline yield number (roughly 5.8%), but the company should be evaluated on cash flow generation rather than the dividends they give out. On a free cash flow basis, they should be generating about $75 million after the trust conversion or about $1.39/share. Given their share price, this works out to a P/E of roughly 15, or a 6.7% combined yield. It is a healthy valuation considering the various businesses they are involved with.
The capital will likely be better invested in other options throughout the year but presently the pickings are slim on the Canadian side. I suspect 2011 will involve a lot of waiting.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see DH go up to $23/share if they show they have executed well on their acquisitions, but I’m happy to get out now – my initial valuations were also somewhat fuzzy since I don’t have a full comprehension of their industry. Most of the gains from the price they traded at after they did their corporate conversion plan have been realized with the existing stock price. No point in getting greedy right now.