KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Securities has cut its profit forecasts and target price for Padini Holdings Bhd for the current financial year through to financial year 2027 (FY27), following a weak first quarter showing.
The firm said Padini's 1QFY25 core net profit missed expectations at RM20.7 million, down 22.8 per cent year-on-year, owing to weaker-than-expected sales volume.
The firm has lowered its FY25–FY27 earnings per share by 12.1 to 14.6 per cent to account for weaker sales volume.
CIMB Securities has maintained a "Buy" call on Padini with a lower target price of RM3.80.
All is not doom and gloom however, as CIMB Securities expects Padini to post stronger results in the remaining quarters of FY25.
The firm said with the hikes in minimum wage (Feb 2025) and civil servants' wages (Dec 2024), Padini will benefit from higher consumer spending power, especially from the lower- to middle-income group.
"This is given its market positioning with a product mix focusing on the mass-market segment," it said in a note today. Meanwhile, CIMB Securities also views Padini as a key beneficiary of any consumer downtrading activities amid current inflationary pressures.
The firm said it is not overly concerned about the impact of the upcoming minimum wage hike on its margins, as most of its staff are paid above the new minimum wage levels.
It noted that the company also shared at its briefing that it intends to tweak its staff renumeration to a more fixed salary structure rather than a variable-based one (bonus, overtime, etc.) as the minimum wage is based on a fixed salary.
"Overall, In addition to its strong brand presence and its position as a key proxy to consumerdowntrading activities, valuations are supported by its strong net cash position of RM796 million (35.6 per cent of current market cap) and attractive dividend yields of 3.5–4.0 per cent in FY25–FY27," it noted.