What’s the outlook for CIMIC following Q1 results?

CIMIC share price rises on Q1 release

Building and construction giant CIMIC Group (CIM) today saw its share price trade some 3.76%, or 86 cents higher, to $23.89 per share in the first 15 minutes of trade, after releasing its first results to the market.

Here, CIMIC revealed revenues of $3.3 billion against Q1 earnings (NPAT) of $166 million – down from $181 million in Q1 2019.

CIM’s earnings per share (EPS) hit 51.3 cents per share during the quarter – down 8.1%.

Even though earnings were down, the firm touted robust profit margins, boasting an earnings (EBITDA) margin of 15.8% and noted that its 'EBITDA cash conversion pre-factoring in LTM' had significantly improved.

Commenting on these results – CIMIC’s CEO – Jaun Santamaria said:

‘During the first quarter, we maintained a disciplined focus on sustaining a strong balance sheet, generating cash, and taking a rigorous approach to tender, project delivery and risk management.’

Opportunity remains, uncertainty still looms

Looking forward, while management noted that CIMIC’s outlook remains positive in its core markets, given the current economic uncertainty as a result of the coronavirus, the firm’s management said that at present, they would not be providing 2020 profit guidance.

'Once we have better visibility of the consequences of COVID-19 on the business, we will provide an update to 2020 profit guidance, if required,’ it was noted.

Guidance or not, during the quarter the firm was awarded $2.5 billion worth of new work, taking the firm’s total work in hand to $36.1 billion.

Some of the firm’s new projects include: the MacKay Northern Access Upgrade in Queensland; the South Gippsland Highway update in Victoria; and the Port Wakefield to Port Augusta Regional Projects Alliance (RPA) in South Australia.

While total work in hand remains flat relative to Q1 2019; this time last year CIMIC took on a significantly higher $4.2 billion worth of new work. Make of that what you will.

Even when considering that data, the firm’s management said, the:

‘Mining market [is] proving resilient; stimulus packages announced by governments in core Construction and Services markets with additional opportunities through strong PPP pipeline.'

Moreover, the company noted that as of March, there were approximately $90 billion worth of tenders expected to be bid on/ and or awarded to during the rest of CY20. Looking further out, the company noted that approximately $400 billion worth of projects were expected to hit the market in CY21 and beyond.

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