Sunday tips round-up: Zambeef, Electrocomponents, Compass
Date: Sunday 01 Apr 2012
AIM-listed Zambeef Products is perfectly positioned to benefit from Africa's growing wealth and could double profits this year.Last month, however, it received a nasty surprise when the Zambian tax authorities said it owed the equivalent of £6.7m relating to Zamanita, an edible oils business acquired in 2008. A new government was elected last September and reopened a tax dispute that Zambeef thought had been fully resolved earlier last year. Grogan and Irwin are held in high regard and are vigorously appealing against the tax authorities’ ruling, which most followers believe stems from a misunderstanding of past tax paid. A settlement is highly likely but even under the worst case scenario, Zambeef should not suffer unduly. In fact, the company is flourishing. Profits in the year to September 2012 are expected to almost double to £8.7m, rising a further 36% next year to nearly £12m. A dividend of 0.5p is forecast for this year, rising to 0.58p in 2013. “The shares are 37p, at which level they are undervalued. Africa is going through a period of rapid change and Zambia is at the forefront of that transformation. The shares might wobble while the tax issue is thrashed out, but this stock should make strides over the long term. Buy and be patient,” says the Financial Mail on Sunday´s Midas column.