Tuopu:China’s first supplier of intelligent braking systems;Buy

Shock and noise absorber leader tapping ADAS through intelligent braking

    Market leader in vibration absorber and acoustic insulation, with robust outlook Tuopu is a leader in China’s Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) market and a main supplier to Geely. New initiatives in ADAS/autonomous driving will start to feature from 2018, with Intelligent Braking System (IBS) products currently at the testing stage with JV OEMs. This diversification will be funded with RMB2.4bn from a private placement to build capacity and mass production will begin in late 2018. We estimate it should deliver a 24% FY16-19E net profit CAGR, driven by robust growth in NVH and IBS/Electric Vacuum Pump (EVP) projects in FY19E. We initiate with a Buy and target price of RMB35.4.

    Market leader in vibration absorber and acoustic insulation, with robust outlook

    Tuopu ranks No. 1 in rubber shock absorbers and No.6 in acoustic insulation products in terms of market share. Geely was its largest customer in FY16, contributing c.20% of revenue, followed by SAIC GM. We expect Tuopu to benefit from the rapid growth momentum at Geely, with its popular Boyue, GS and GL models. We expect NVH parts to remain Tuopu’s major revenue contributor and forecast a 24% FY16-19E revenue CAGR with stable margins, on a robust outlook for NVH products.

    New initiatives in autonomous driving to support long-term growth

    Active safety has been increasingly included in new car safety assessments, including C-NCAP, and automatic braking is an essential active safety feature. The investment in IBS, a market previously dominated by Bosch, opens the door for Tuopu to this and other ADAS functions. It is currently testing its IBS products with some JV OEMs and after completing an RMB2.4bn private placement in May to expand its production capacity, Tuopu will be the first domestic supplier to produce IBS, starting late 2018.

    Initiating with Buy and target price set at 26x FY18E P/E; risks

    Our TP of RMB35.4 is set at a target 26.0x FY18E P/E, at par with the historical average. We expect Tuopu to deliver a 24% FY16-19E profit CAGR, driven by robust growth in NVH products and a stable margin outlook. Key downside risks: failure to record new order awards for IBS/EVP products; weaker-than-expected auto sales and unexpected increases in raw material prices.