Citi Investment Research:
19 February 2009. 7 pages
Recommendation ¡X We reiterate a Buy rating on HPQ shares with a revised
target of $51. While we are cutting FY09 revenue by 13% to reflect a low
double digit yoy decline ex EDS & FX, we are only cutting non-GAAP EPS by
3% thanks to stellar expense mgmt, pricing discipline (including price
increases on ink/toner) and the defensive characteristics of the model (i.e., the
razor blade/razor nature of the inkjet biz and >50% recurring profit). In
addition, valuation seems washed out at just 8-9X revised F12 non-GAAP EPS.
2FQ09 EPS Guidance Conservative . EPS normally rise sequentially by $0.02-
0.05 during 2FQ, but mgmt is guiding EPS down $0.07-0.09 this year. Despite
the need to reduce ink/toner channel inventory by 1-1.5 weeks over the next 1-
2 quarters, our modeling suggests that mgmt¡¦s 2FQ guidance is conservative.
....
Valuation . We are reducing our target multiple from 13X to 12X to reflect the
lower EPS growth implicit in our revised estimates. Our revised P/E and
discounted cash flow valuation analyses still suggest a twelve-month target of $51,
50% upside from current levels. We therefore view near-term weakness as an attractive buying opportunity.
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