GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited
GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited (GSK Pharma), incorporated in 1924, is a pharmaceuticals company with the product portfolio of Prescription Medicines like anti-infectives, dermatology, gynaecology, diabetes, cardiovascular disease respiratory diseases etc. and Vaccines for the prevention of hepatitis A, hepatitis B, invasive disease caused by H, influenzae, chickenpox, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and others. With opportunities in India opening up, GSK India is aligning itself with the parent company in areas such as clinical trials, clinical data management, global pack management, sourcing raw material and support for business processes including analytics.
INVESTMENT RATIONALE
§ GSK Pharma has received approval from the USFDA for Requip XL tablets, in the strengths of 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg and 8 mg, used for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson`s disease.
§ GSK Pharma has announced a collaboration with Japan based Astellas Pharma for exclusive rights for the latter`s injectible anit-fungal agent namely, Micafungin in the India market.
§ Compared to a 53% fall in the Sensex, GSK’s stock has logged a price appreciation of 3%. This makes it an attractive defensive bet for investors in the current uncertain times.
§ The company’s bias towards mass-market products, strong brand equity and a rich product pipeline have helped it to become one of the top three players in the domestic pharma market.
§ GSK has been in a transformation phase since the past couple of years. It divested two of its non-core businesses – animal healthcare and fine chemicals – in ‘06 and ‘07, respectively. The company has recently re-organised its business units to focus on three major areas of mass-market products, vaccines and chronic therapy products.
§ The company plans to tap growth in acute therapeutic segments at lower levels of the pyramid as well as semiurban areas and small towns. It also intends to grow its chronic therapeutic product portfolio, primarily supplemented by in-licensing products from other companies.
§ It is also de-risking its business by reducing emphasis on price-controlled products and focusing on priority products, which are nonregulated products outside price control. In ‘00-01, price-controlled products constituted 40% of GSK’s product portfolio. This figure has now come down to 27%. The company is also bullish on its vaccines business, which currently contributes 11-12% to its topline. GSK is present in all types of vaccines, and this business segment is growing at 15% p.a. Riding on its reputation, the company is focusing on hospitals to tap institutional business. It is also looking at in-licensing seriously to enrich its product pipeline.
§ Currently, revenues from in-licensing account for just 2-3% of the company’s total revenues. GSK plans to increase this to 5-6% in 2-3 years.
§ GSK is conservative in its finances and has been debt-free. It has also been consistently rewarding its shareholders with high dividends. In the past five years, its dividend payment per share has jumped by over five times to Rs 36 per share in CY07, against Rs 7 per share in CY02. Sales have seen a CAGR of 8.2% over the five-year period ended December ‘07 to Rs 1,602.2 crore. Net profit (adjusted for extraordinary items) posted a CAGR of 23.5% to Rs 365.2 crore during this period. GSK has been steadily increasing its operating profit margin (OPM) over the past five years; its OPM for CY08 was 31% – much higher than that of most domestic pharma companies.
§ The company expects to break into double-digit revenue growth by CY10. Assuming that GSK maintains its growth in sales and profits, its valuations will be fairly comparable with that of its peers. GSK is a classic case of a defensive stock. Investors interested in steady capital returns, along with consistent dividend income, should accumulate the stock at its current price.
