Fitch

13 Years after Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MHRIL) set up,it is coming tomorrow to the Public to raise Equity Funds.It’s in the Business of Vacation Ownership and is a leader in this Field having a market share of over 70%.

Members are empowered with a right to stay at any of the Company’s resorts,subject to prior reservation, for a period of One to Seven Days during designated months and for a Period of 10,25 or 33 Years depending on which Plan they have joined.For this Right they have paid an average of Rupees Rs 2.5 lakh with options to spread the Payment over as long as even 5 Years…Recognition of Income is a portion of this Fee in the year of Joining,with the rest apportioned over the plan Period

In these 12 years,the progress has been slow and steady with momentum seen in only the last few years

As of March 31,2009,it has a cumulative of  92825 Members…..Currently It has 27 resorts,some owned,some on long lease and five on short (under Two year Lease) with 1261 Apartment and cottages across them

Financial Performance….In FY 09 It earned Rs 80 crs on an equity of Rs 77 crs giving an EPS of just over Rs 10…It’s networth was just under Rs 196 crs giving a Book Value of @ Rs 25

So do I like the Company ?………Yes

So do I like the IPO ?……..No

So would I rather be a Member of MHRIL than a Shareholder ?……….Neither

Why is that ?……Well,both issues should be evaluated seperately

Let’s take the prospect of being a Shareholder first

The Pedigree is good and the Prospects are fair…..but the IPO Pricing is expensive…At Rs 275-Rs 325 MHRIL is asking us to pay 30 earnings multiples and 13 Book Multiples on recent performance…That’s HIgh…They are justified in doing this only if they see strong and quicker quantum growth ahead in earnings…I don’t.Their Growth will be constrained by the Apartments and cottages thay have available for right of use…The Object for this Issue reveals that Rs 211 crs are to be spend for Five Properties…to expand at Asthamudi in Kerala and Coorg in Karnataka,to renovate an acquired property in Ooty in Tamil Nadu and to build two new properties in Tungi,near Lonavla in Maharashtra and in Theog,near Simla in Himachal Pradesh…Over Rs 150 crs are for the last two new projects…Rs 111 crs are planned for FY 10 and Rs 93 crs for FY 11,rest later…there are no definitive agreements for the capex spend as of yet…each room would cost an average of @ Rs 50 lakhs and capacity is being projected close to 1600 apartments and cottages within a few years read more