Plant Health Care — Leading the field

Plant Health Care — Leading the field

Plant Health Care expects to gain the first US regulatory approval for one of the products in its New Technology portfolio, PHC279, a PREtec (plant response elicitor) in 2020, leading to market launch in 2021. The PREtec products, which address markets worth over US$5bn, complement the company’s existing range of biological products for boosting plant yields, which are already approved for sale in 16 countries.

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Plant Health Care

Leading the field

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15 March 2019

Price

6.58p

Market cap

£11m

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Share details

Code

PHC

Listing

AIM

Shares in issue

172.8m

Business description

Plant Health Care provides innovative proprietary agricultural biological products to the global agricultural markets. These focus on improving crop performance, strengthening a plant’s resistance to soil pests or drought and increasing yield.

Bull

Global population continues to increase, driving demand for agricultural outputs.

Adoption of westernised diets requires additional grain to be produced for feeding livestock.

Regulatory pressure driving demand for alternatives to conventional fertilisers and crop protection products.

Bear

Time taken for new products to complete field trials and gain regulatory approval.

Licencing technology to partners reduces visibility of commercialisation timescales.

Demand for products impacted by weather and commodity prices.

Analyst

Anne Margaret Crow

+44 (0)20 3077 5700

Plant Health Care expects to gain the first US regulatory approval for one of the products in its New Technology portfolio, PHC279, a PREtec (plant response elicitor) in 2020, leading to market launch in 2021. The PREtec products, which address markets worth over US$5bn, complement the company’s existing range of biological products for boosting plant yields, which are already approved for sale in 16 countries.

Results from field trials encouraging

During FY18 three additional partners started to evaluate the PREtec technology. Results from US field trials of seed treatments for corn and soy based on three of the PREtec platforms continued to be promising with several partners continuing trials into FY19. Although results from the Brazilian trials of one of the platforms for control of Asian soybean rust were not sufficient to reach a licence agreement with the partner, field trials focused on yield improvements are continuing. Given the uncertainty over when partners will licence the technology, management is developing additional routes to market so it can be sure of launching products as soon as the appropriate regulatory approval is obtained. Progress on manufacturing methodology shows potential for cost-effective production.

FY18 revenues helped by shift to high volume crops

Preliminary results for FY18 show revenues rising by 7% year-on-year to US$8.0m with strong growth in the US (following the launch of a new product for corn), and in Brazil (adoption for sugar cane), Spain and Mexico was partly offset by a slow draw-down of inventory in South Africa caused by drought. Following a Placing and Subscription in February 2018 raising £5.0m (gross), cash (there is no debt) increased from US$3.9m at end FY17 to US$4.3m. Management believes that this is sufficient to take the company to cash breakeven in FY20.

Product launches underpin strong growth in FY19

Management is confident of strong sales growth in FY19, backed by the new US product for corn, the new product for soy that is currently in “soft launch” and the ramp-up of products for sugar cane in Brazil. This supports consensus estimates showing 26% year-on-year sales growth in FY19. We note that the company’s shares are trading on prospective EV/sales levels substantially lower than Eden Research (1.3x vs 6.2x for the year ending December 2018 and 1.0x vs 4.8x for December 2019). This methodology is of limited value, however, as it does not explicitly ascribe value to the potential revenues realisable should the PREtec products gain meaningful share of their target markets.

Consensus estimates

Year
end

Revenue
(US$m)

EBITDA
(US$m)

PBT
US$m)

EPS
(US$)

DPS
(US$)

EV/sales
(x)

12/16

6.3

(10.7)

(11.3)

(0.11)

0.0

1.7

12/17

7.7

(5.1)

(5.7)

(0.04)

0.0

1.4

12/18e

8.0

(5.1)

(5.6)

(0.03)

0.0

1.3

12/19e

10.1

(2.0)

(2.5)

(0.01)

0.0

1.0

Source: Company data, Refinitiv

EDISON QUICKVIEWS ARE NORMALLY ONE OFF PUBLICATIONS WITH NO COMMITMENT TO WRITING ANY FOLLOW UP. QUICKVIEW NOTES USE CONSENSUS EARNINGS ESTIMATES.

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Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

London +44 (0)20 3077 5700

280 High Holborn

London, WC1V 7EE

United Kingdom

New York +1 646 653 7026

1,185 Avenue of the Americas

3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036

United States of America

Sydney +61 (0)2 8249 8342

Level 4, Office 1205

95 Pitt Street, Sydney

NSW 2000, Australia

General disclaimer and copyright

This report has prepared and issued by Edison. Edison Investment Research standard fees are £49,500 pa for the production and broad dissemination of a detailed note (Outlook) following by regular (typically quarterly) update notes. Fees are paid upfront in cash without recourse. Edison may seek additional fees for the provision of roadshows and related IR services for the client but does not get remunerated for any investment banking services. We never take payment in stock, options or warrants for any of our services.

Accuracy of content: All information used in the publication of this report has been compiled from publicly available sources that are believed to be reliable, however we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this report and have not sought for this information to be independently verified. Opinions contained in this report represent those of the Edison analyst at the time of publication. Forward-looking information or statements in this report contain information that is based on assumptions, forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable, and therefore involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of their subject matter to be materially different from current expectations.

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Investment in securities mentioned: Edison has a restrictive policy relating to personal dealing and conflicts of interest. Edison Group does not conduct any investment business and, accordingly, does not itself hold any positions in the securities mentioned in this report. However, the respective directors, officers, employees and contractors of Edison may have a position in any or related securities mentioned in this report, subject to Edison's policies on personal dealing and conflicts of interest.

Copyright: Copyright 2019 Edison Investment Research Limited (Edison). All rights reserved FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2019. “FTSE®” is a trade mark of the London Stock Exchange Group companies and is used by FTSE International Limited under license. All rights in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings vest in FTSE and/or its licensors. Neither FTSE nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings or underlying data. No further distribution of FTSE Data is permitted without FTSE’s express written consent.

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The research in this document is intended for New Zealand resident professional financial advisers or brokers (for use in their roles as financial advisers or brokers) and habitual investors who are “wholesale clients” for the purpose of the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA) (as described in sections 5(c) (1)(a), (b) and (c) of the FAA). This is not a solicitation or inducement to buy, sell, subscribe, or underwrite any securities mentioned or in the topic of this document. For the purpose of the FAA, the content of this report is of a general nature, is intended as a source of general information only and is not intended to constitute a recommendation or opinion in relation to acquiring or disposing (including refraining from acquiring or disposing) of securities. The distribution of this document is not a “personalised service” and, to the extent that it contains any financial advice, is intended only as a “class service” provided by Edison within the meaning of the FAA (i.e. without taking into account the particular financial situation or goals of any person). As such, it should not be relied upon in making an investment decision.

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Neither this document and associated email (together, the "Communication") constitutes or form part of any offer for sale or subscription of, or solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for, any securities, nor shall it or any part of it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or commitment whatsoever. Any decision to purchase shares in the Company in the proposed placing should be made solely on the basis of the information to be contained in the admission document to be published in connection therewith.

This Communication is being distributed in the United Kingdom and is directed only at (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments, i.e. investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "FPO") (ii) high net-worth companies, unincorporated associations or other bodies within the meaning of Article 49 of the FPO and (iii) persons to whom it is otherwise lawful to distribute it. The investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to such persons. It is not intended that this document be distributed or passed on, directly or indirectly, to any other class of persons and in any event and under no circumstances should persons of any other description rely on or act upon the contents of this document (nor will such persons be able to purchase shares in the placing).

This Communication is being supplied to you solely for your information and may not be reproduced by, further distributed to or published in whole or in part by, any other person.

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The Investment Research is a publication distributed in the United States by Edison Investment Research, Inc. Edison Investment Research, Inc. is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Edison relies upon the "publishers' exclusion" from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a) (11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and corresponding state securities laws. This report is a bona fide publication of general and regular circulation offering impersonal investment-related advice, not tailored to a specific investment portfolio or the needs of current and/or prospective subscribers. As such, Edison does not offer or provide personal advice and the research provided is for informational purposes only. No mention of a particular security in this report constitutes a recommendation to buy, sell or hold that or any security, or that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.

Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

London +44 (0)20 3077 5700

280 High Holborn

London, WC1V 7EE

United Kingdom

New York +1 646 653 7026

1,185 Avenue of the Americas

3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036

United States of America

Sydney +61 (0)2 8249 8342

Level 4, Office 1205

95 Pitt Street, Sydney

NSW 2000, Australia

Frankfurt +49 (0)69 78 8076 960

Schumannstrasse 34b

60325 Frankfurt

Germany

London +44 (0)20 3077 5700

280 High Holborn

London, WC1V 7EE

United Kingdom

New York +1 646 653 7026

1,185 Avenue of the Americas

3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036

United States of America

Sydney +61 (0)2 8249 8342

Level 4, Office 1205

95 Pitt Street, Sydney

NSW 2000, Australia

Jupiter Green Investment Trust — Growing opportunity set drives higher income

Jupiter Green Investment Trust (JGC) is continuing to benefit from the greater public interest in green issues, which is driving demand growth for companies delivering solutions to environmental challenges. Manager Charlie Thomas and his team run a globally diversified portfolio of c 60 companies, invested across a wide variety of areas, broadly grouped into themes of resource efficiency, demographics and infrastructure. The growing maturity of the investment universe is leading to a larger number of companies paying attractive dividends, enabling JGC to enhance its own dividend policy, with a higher yield (now c 1.3%, from c 0.7%) and semi-annual payouts. As the highest-yielding, closed-ended ‘green’ equity fund, JGC could see greater demand for its shares, which could help to narrow the currently wider-than-average discount to NAV.

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