Stock Spotlight: nib holdings limited (ASX:NHF)
This week's Stock Spotlight is ASX-listed nib holdings limited.
About nib holdings limited.
nib holdings limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting and distribution of private health, life, and living insurance to residents, international students, and visitors in Australia and New Zealand. The company operates in five segments: Australian Residents Health Insurance, International (Inbound) Health Insurance, New Zealand Insurance, nib Travel, and nib Thrive segments. It is also involved in the sale and distribution of travel and disability insurance products; and provision of health management programs. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Newcastle, Australia.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Key Stats
Key Stats
Source: Yahoo Finance, ASX. Data as of 26/09/24.
Price Performance
Growth Potential
- Trading below our valuation and on undemanding 2-yr valuation multiples (12.4x PE-multiple / 5.2% dividend yield).
- Given Australia’s growing and ageing population, there will be increased demand for health care services. This will add additional pressure on Australia’s public health care system and the Federal budget and an increased dependence on private health care insurers. NHF offers exposure to the business model of providing a funding mechanism for the high-growth health care sector. Healthcare spending is expected to grow at 5-10% per annum, so without significant tax hikes, the government cannot afford for people to shift back to the public healthcare system.
- Given underlying increases in average premium rates of around 5 - 6% p.a., some policyholder growth (especially at the 30-34-year-old segment), and exposure to upstart investments, we estimate that NHF offers close to double-digit underlying growth in the medium term.
- Solid management team.
- Cost-out strategy which improves the company’s expense ratio.
- Incentives and benefits encourage PHI take-up. They include 1. Tax benefits and penalties for Australian residents (via Lifetime Health Cover, Medicare Levy Surcharge and means tested rebate); and 2. Shorter wait times, a choice of specialist doctor/hospital and coverage of ancillary health services support.
- Growth runways through the JV with Tasly Holdings Group, and also international expansion, through product offerings like NISS.
Key Risks
- Intensifying competition between top 6 players, putting policy growth targets at risk and any Increases in expected marketing spend going forward will no doubt add further strain on earnings growth.
- Policyholders decline unexpectedly despite the encouraging incentives and the Australian Government struggling with the rapid increase in healthcare spending and health services demand.
- Registered health insurers cannot increase premium rates without approval from the Government/Minister for Health/PHIAC/APRA. This leaves NHF’s ROE and margins exposed to a political process and pressures if the company is deemed too profitable.
- Regulatory changes especially relating to any changes to tax incentives and benefits which encourage take up of PHI.
- Higher than expected lapse rates and claims inflation as a result of poor insurance policy design, aging population, and costs of new medical equipment, procedures and treatments.
- Poor negotiations with healthcare providers such as private hospital operators leading to unfavourable contractual terms.
- Lower than expected investment returns.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute financial advice nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. The information presented is intended to be of a factual nature only. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. As always, do your own research and consider seeking financial, legal and taxation advice before investing.
Global energy risks are rising. Australia just committed $10.7 billion to respond. A closer look at the economic risks driving Australia’s push for greater fuel security.
The RBA has lifted rates to 4.35%. Here’s what it means for households, inflation, markets, sector performance and the outlook for Australian investors.
About The a2 Milk Co Ltd The a2 Milk Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, sells A2-type protein type branded milk and related products in Australia, New Zealand, China, rest of Asia, and the United States. The company offers infant milk formula; other nutritional products and milk; manufactures and sells nutritional and ingredients products, as well as provides rent, royalty, and licensing services. It offers its products under the a2 Milk and a2 Platinum brands. The company was formerly known as A2 Corporation Limited and changed its name to The a2 Milk Company Limited in April 2014. The a2 Milk Company Limited was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand. Source: EODHD Key Stats
About Meta Platforms Inc Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and AI glasses in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). The FoA segment offers Facebook, which enables people to build community through feed, reels, stories, groups, marketplace, and other; Instagram that brings people closer through Instagram feed, stories, reels, live, and messaging; Messenger, a messaging application for people to connect with friends, family, communities, and businesses across platforms and devices through text, audio, and video calls; Meta AI, an assistant that's available across apps, as a stand-alone app, on AI glasses, and on the web; Threads, an application for text-based updates and public conversations; and WhatsApp, a messaging application that is used by people and businesses to communicate and transact in a private way. The RL segment provides virtual and augmented reality products, including consumer hardware, software, and content that help people feel connected anytime and anywhere, as well as Meta Quest devices that enable social experiences across gaming, fitness, entertainment, and more. The segment also includes wearables such as AI glasses like Ray Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses, featuring Meta AI for advanced conversational and hands free interaction; and the Meta Ray Ban Display, which combines AI glasses with an integrated lens display and the Meta Neural Band, a wrist worn device using electromyography that lets people control their AI glasses through neuromuscular signals. The company was formerly known as Facebook, Inc. and changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Source:EODHD Key Stats
About Amazon.com Inc Amazon.com, Inc. engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, fire tablets, fire TVs, echo, ring, blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content. In addition, the company offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products in its stores; and programs that allow authors, independent publishers, musicians, filmmakers, Twitch streamers, skill and app developers, and others to publish and sell content. Further, it provides compute, storage, Artificial intelligence, database, analytics, machine learning, and other services, as well as advertising services through programs, such as sponsored ads, display, and video advertising. Additionally, the company offers Amazon Prime, a membership program. The company's products offered through its stores include merchandise and content purchased for resale and products offered by third-party sellers. It serves consumers, sellers, developers, enterprises, content creators, advertisers, and employees. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Source:EODHD Key Stats
Earnings may beat expectations, but guidance drives markets. Learn how to read forward outlooks, tone and signals to better interpret stock price reactions.
About Visa Inc. Visa Inc. operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. The company also provides acceptance solutions, which include Cybersource and Authorize.net that provides new and enhanced payment integrations with ecommerce platforms, enabling sellers and acquirers to offer tailored commerce experiences; risk and identity solutions, such as Visa Advanced Authorization, Visa Secure, Visa Consumer Authentication Service, Visa Protect Authentication Intelligence, and Visa Provisioning Intelligence; and Visa Consulting and Analytics, a payment consulting advisory services. It provides its services under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink, V PAY, and PLUS brands. The company serves merchants, financial institutions, and government entities. Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Source:EODHD Key Stats
About Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapeutic and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. The company operates through three segments: Precision Medicine, Therapeutics, and Manufacturing Solutions. Its lead therapeutic product candidate is TLX591, a lutetium-labeled radio antibody-drug conjugate (rADC), which is in a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with advanced prostate cancer. The company develops TLX250, an rADC for treating advanced metastatic kidney cancer; TLX101, a systemic therapy for the treatment of glioblastoma; TLX66, a product candidate for bone marrow conditioning for hematopoietic stem cell transplant conditioning; and Illuccix and Gozellix for the treatment of prostate cancer. The company is also developing TLX592, a prostate cancer therapy candidate for targeted alpha therapy based on its proprietary RADmAb-engineered antibody technology; TLX252 for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic kidney cancer; TLX400, a bladder fibroblast activation protein for treating various tumors; TLX102, a large amino acid transporter-targeting small molecule-based alpha therapy candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma and multiple myeloma; TLX300 for treating soft tissue sarcoma; and TLX090, a bone-seeking agent for bone metastases and pain palliation. In addition, it is developing BiPASS, which is in Phase 3 clinical trial for prostate cancer diagnosis; AlFluor, a novel PET radiochemistry solution; TLX250-Px, a PET diagnostic imaging agent; and TLX101-Px, a radiolabeled amino acid PET agent. It operates in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. The company has strategic collaboration with University Hospital Essen. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in North Melbourne, Australia. Source:EODHD Key Stats
The UAE leaves OPEC on 1 May. Oil prices did not move. Here is why the near-term calm is masking a structural shift investors should not ignore.
Earnings are beating expectations, but the market is cautious. See what S&P 500 Q1 results reveal about market concentration and portfolio positioning.
