[ET Net News Agency, 9 August 2019] Nomura raised its target price for MTR Corporation
(00066) to HK$56.6 from HK$53.5 and maintained its "buy" rating.
Despite a profit warning in July, the research house said MTR posted another resilient
operating performance in 1H with core recurring profits up 14%, which was ahead of
Nomura's high-single-digit growth expectation.
Assuming that the traffic disruption resulting from protests in HK does not last into
2020, and considering the defensive nature of MTR's retail portfolio (station kiosks and
mass-market malls atop stations), Nomura believes its long-term outlook remains solid,
with upside from gradual patronage ramp-up for the high-speed rail and a fruitful pipeline
of property completions. (KL)