New Zealand Professional Investment Services Firm, Forsyth Barr

Forsyth Barr

New Zealand Professional Investment Services Firm

We are proud to be a New Zealand owned firm, with 21 offices throughout the country and over 300 employees. We assist personal, institutional and corporate clients providing a full range of investment services.

Forsyth Barr is a foundation New Zealand Exchange firm (NZX) and accredited market participant. We have been confirmed by the Financial Markets Authority as a Qualifying Financial Entity (QFE).

Research is the cornerstone of our advice. We have one of New Zealand's leading teams of analysts. Our global affiliations ensure comprehensive research coverage of all major investment markets.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>September quarter ready-mix concrete (RMC) production highlighted continued soft NZ construction activity, with volume declines on both the prior quarter (seasonally adjusted) and the prior year.</li><li>The -10% year on year decline in RMC volumes is broadly consistent with recent trading updates from Fletcher Building (FBU) and Vulcan Steel (VSL).</li><li>Concrete volumes are now broadly back to pre-pandemic levels, but there maybe some signs of life in Auckland where there have been two quarters of sequential volume growth. </li></ul>

September quarter ready-mix concrete (RMC) production highlighted continued soft NZ construction activity, with volume declines on both the prior quarter (seasonally adjusted) and the prior year.The -10% year on year decline in RMC volumes is broadly consistent with recent trading updates from Fletcher Building (FBU) and Vulcan Steel (VSL).Concrete volumes are now broadly back to pre-pandemic levels, but there maybe some signs of life in Auckland where there have been two quarters of sequential volume growth. 

Building Sector - Ready-Mix Concrete — Set in Its Way

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Vulcan Steel (VSL) reported a soft four month trading update at its annual shareholder meeting.</li><li>EBITDA was down -29% on the prior period, driven by margin pressure from higher costs and operating deleverage from slower activity in NZ.</li><li>This was not unexpected (we forecast 1H24 EBITDA to be down -30%) with trading comments provided at the FY23 result pointing to a slowdown in activity ahead of the general election. </li></ul>

Vulcan Steel (VSL) reported a soft four month trading update at its annual shareholder meeting.EBITDA was down -29% on the prior period, driven by margin pressure from higher costs and operating deleverage from slower activity in NZ.This was not unexpected (we forecast 1H24 EBITDA to be down -30%) with trading comments provided at the FY23 result pointing to a slowdown in activity ahead of the general election. 

<ul><li>Residential consents continued their downward trajectory in September, falling to 33.4k (seasonally adjusted and annualised), and are now -38% below the February 2022 peak.</li><li>The decline was largely in higher density dwellings, which have seen some significant falls over recent months (Figure 17).</li><li>With H1 building code changes having pulled forward a number of consent applications, we expect residential consents to decline further over the balance of the year. </li></ul>

Residential consents continued their downward trajectory in September, falling to 33.4k (seasonally adjusted and annualised), and are now -38% below the February 2022 peak.The decline was largely in higher density dwellings, which have seen some significant falls over recent months (Figure 17).With H1 building code changes having pulled forward a number of consent applications, we expect residential consents to decline further over the balance of the year. 

Building Sector  - NZ Consents — Continued Declines

<ul><li>Vulcan Steel's (VSL) FY23 result was in line with recent guidance and our expectations.</li><li>Lower volumes and margin pressure impacted the Steel division, while Metals held up better with Ullrich Aluminium (Ullrich) providing a timely maiden contribution.</li><li>Reduced volumes were largely driven by NZ which slowed again over the final weeks of the year with the upcoming general election weighing on activity. </li></ul>

Vulcan Steel's (VSL) FY23 result was in line with recent guidance and our expectations.Lower volumes and margin pressure impacted the Steel division, while Metals held up better with Ullrich Aluminium (Ullrich) providing a timely maiden contribution.Reduced volumes were largely driven by NZ which slowed again over the final weeks of the year with the upcoming general election weighing on activity. 

Vulcan Steel - FY23 Result — Bending, Not Breaking

<ul><li>Vulcan Steel (VSL) reported a disappointing trading and earnings guidance update.</li><li>VSL downgraded its FY23 EBITDA and NPAT guidance range by -7%/-14% at the mid-points respectively.</li><li>At the operating level (excl. integration costs), this was c.-7% below our forecast which was primarily driven by a late fourth quarter decline in NZ activity (particularly in the Steel division) with Australian activity holding up better.</li></ul>

Vulcan Steel (VSL) reported a disappointing trading and earnings guidance update.VSL downgraded its FY23 EBITDA and NPAT guidance range by -7%/-14% at the mid-points respectively.At the operating level (excl. integration costs), this was c.-7% below our forecast which was primarily driven by a late fourth quarter decline in NZ activity (particularly in the Steel division) with Australian activity holding up better.

Vulcan Steel: FY23 Trading and Earnings Guidance Update

New Zealand

Vulcan Steel Ltd operates as a metals distributing and processing company. The Company offers stainless and engineering steel products. Vulcan Steel serves customers in Australia and New Zealand.

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Vulcan Steel Limited (VSL NZ)

Building Sector - Ready-Mix Concrete — Set in Its Way

September quarter ready-mix concrete (RMC) production highlighted continued soft NZ construction activity, with volume declines on both the prior...

Forsyth Barr

Vulcan Steel - Testing Its Mettle

EBITDA was down -29% on the prior period, driven by margin pressure from higher costs and operating deleverage from slower activity in NZ.

Forsyth Barr

Building Sector - NZ Consents — Continued Declines

Residential consents continued their downward trajectory in September, falling to 33.4k (seasonally adjusted and annualised), and are now -38%...

Forsyth Barr

Vulcan Steel - FY23 Result — Bending, Not Breaking

Lower volumes and margin pressure impacted the Steel division, while Metals held up better with Ullrich Aluminium (Ullrich) providing a timely...

Forsyth Barr

Vulcan Steel: FY23 Trading and Earnings Guidance Update

Vulcan Steel (VSL) reported disappointing results with a -7% downgrade in FY23 earnings guidance, mainly due to a decline in NZ activity, while...

Forsyth Barr

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