PH Earns Investment Grade from Fitch

In case you missed it, the Philippines earned its first investment grade rating from global credit rating firm Fitch.

An investment grade means the Philippines, as a borrowing country, has a strong ability to pay its debt. It basically tells investors that it is safe to do business in the country and help encourage them to put up their capital here.

The Rappler provides a great summary of the reasons why Fitch granted the Philippines an upgrade:

RESILIENT REMITTANCES. Remittances, which account for 8% of the Philippine economy in 2012, stayed resilient despite the global financial crisis. The inflows from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), which grew 6.4% to US$23.8 billion in 2012, supported a strong net external creditor position, which accounted for 12% of GDP in 2012. This means there are more dollars flowing into the country than those being paid out (like payment for imports).
RESILIENT ECONOMY. The 6.6% growth rate in 2012 made the Philippines stand out amid the struggling economies of rich countries in the west. "The Philippines has experienced stronger and less volatile growth than its 'BBB' peers over the past five years," Fitch said.
FISCAL PRUDENCE. Fitch cited the improvements in the fiscal management during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. These reforms, which included the passing of the VAT reform law in 2005, "have made general government debt dynamics more resilient to shocks." Fitch noted that under President Benigno Aquino III, the government ably managed the country's foreign debts, which has fallen to 47% of total government borrowings, from 53% at end-2008.
PRUDENT MONETARY STRATEGY. Fitch has cited the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) inflation management track record and proactive use of monetary tolls to support the economic growth.
GOOD GOVERNANCE. Fitch noted that governance reforms, which have been a centrepiece of the Aquino administration's policy efforts, must remain a priority of the Aquino government and institutionalize these beyond 2016. Fitch also said that the Philippines' good governance scores based on standards of international groups like the World Bank "remain weaker than 'BBB' range norms but are not inconsistent with a 'BBB-' rating as a number of sovereigns in this rating category fare worse than the Philippines."

What Does it Mean?

The Investment Grade rating can trigger a lot of positives for the Philippines:
1. Lower Interest Rate on debt
2. Lower borrowing costs
3. Less risk in PH markets
4. More foreign investments
5. More money to spend for economic stimulus
6. More jobs

The first four can be achieved by reputation, and getting a credit upgrade greatly helps. When investments start coming in, the government will have a better flexibility in planning out spending. The last is a bit more difficult. Creating more jobs would heavily rely on 1. expansion brought by major growth from existing companies; 2. Direct investments to the country, meaning companies would be willing to do business here, instead of, say investing in Philippine stocks or bonds. An environment that is free of regulatory constraints is the key to attract more investors to setting up their own business here, something the Philipphins is still lagging.

photo from to rappler.com

 In World Bank's 2012 Ease of Doing Business Index, the Philippines ranked only 138th. If you have been to Singapore or Malaysia, you can't help but admire the ease of transportation, even for first timers.

The Philippines has improved, but still catching up. For as long as it remains guided by sound governance and uphold to honest business practices, strong and consistent growth will continue to move us forward, not just for the elite, but for the rest of its people as well.    

Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. (VLL)

Company Profile:

Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. (VLL) was incorporated on February 28, 2007 as an investment holding company. VLL and its subsidiaries harness more than 30 years of professional expertise in residential real estate development. The Company's projects include master-planned developments and stand-alone residential subdivisions which offer lots and/or housing units to customers in the low-cost (which includes socialized housing), affordable, middle-income and high-end market segments.

VLL operates through five distinct business units:

Brittany caters to the high-end market segment in Mega Manila, offering luxury houses in master-planned communities, priced at P9 million and above.

Crown Asia caters to the middle market housing segment in Mega Manila, primarily offering houses priced between P3.5 million to P9 million.

Camella Homes services the low-cost housing segment and affordable housing segment, priced up to P3.5 million.

Communities Philippines offers residential properties outside the Mega Manila area in the low-cost, affordable and middle market segments.

Vista Residences, Inc. caters to the development and selling of residential high-rise condominium projects across the Philippines.

Income and Operations

VLL reported a net income increase of 24% from P3.528 billion in 2011 to P4.375 billion in 2012. All its property segments' revenues increased, except for Crown Asia which decreased by 8%. Its gross margin increased to 53.96% from 51.08% in 2011, indicative that its brands could command higher pricing without hurting sales volume.

Stocks Valuation

VLL stocks are currently trading at P10x PE. If you purchased the stock by the end of 2011, your investment have already grown by 188%.

 What's to Like?

Vista Land simply dominates the housing segment in the country. Its well-established "Camella" brand and its emerging presence in the region are the company's present and future. VLL have also continued to find a way to increase its gross margin, possibly from managing its expenses. It posted lower provision for income tax reduced by their deferred payments.  

Why Get Cautious?

Unlike other listed property companies, VLL does not have a recurring rental income on their portfolio. The vertical segment of their company is also lagging behind other developers. This becomes a major concern especially when consumers tend to move in the city. It also makes them more susceptible to economic downturns similar to the property melt down they have experienced in the 90's.

Buffett Recommends...

Vista Land and Lifescapes prides itself of sound financial management backed by the family of businessman and Senator Manny Villar. While their leadership in their field and high reputation are good intangibles, I believe there are other companies that provide higher returns for our intelligent investors.