
Four Soft offers custom developed software solutions apart from product licenses. The prime growth area in business is software solutions for the transportation and logistic domain. The software products offered are: 4S eTrans, 4S eLog, 4S eSupply, 4S logistics, 4S Driver, etc.
Shareholding Pattern: The promoters hold 32.97% while the general public holds 67.03%. Among the promoters, Palem Srikanth Reddy holds 5.52% of the shares of the company.
Financials: The total income of the company, on a standalone basis for Q3FY09 came out to be Rs.7.7 Cr as against Rs.8.86 Cr in the same period previous year. The Profit before depreciation and tax came out to be almost flat at Rs.56.2 lakhs as against Rs.74.4 lakhs in the same period previous year. The net loss of the company for Q3FY09 decreased to Rs.28.3 lakhs as against Rs.37 lakhs in the same period previous year. This shows some improvement in the company’s fundamentals. Moreover, both the net profit and operating profits margins remained flat during the 12 months period.
On consolidated basis however, the results of the company for Q3FY09 are excellent. The consolidated results of the company for Q3FY09, on Y-o-Y basis are:
(a) the revenues jumped by 19% to Rs.47.6 Cr,
(b) the EBIDTA showed a jump of 149% o to Rs.18.4 Cr
(c) PBT (Profit before tax) jumped by 259% to Rs.18.5 Cr
(d) PAT (Profit after tax) jumped by 197% to Rs.10.7 Cr.
(e) EPS (Annualised) is a whooping Rs.10.93
(f) the net profit margin is 22.41%, which is a jump of 113% over Q3FY08.
Investmement Rationale:
1. Products of the company find usage in the Logistics and supply chain domain, primarily linked with third party logistics (TPL) and manufacturing industry. As a result of economic slowdown, these companies would be looking at cost reduction on priority basis and hence Four Soft would actually benefit from this process. It is to be noted that its products enhance operational efficiency and reduce waste.
2. The company has been listed on the IMB Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Business
Catalogue, after successfully completing IMB’s rigorous SOA Technical Validation process. The IBM SOA Business Catalogue is a comprehensive online directory of reusable SOA content that has been validated to perform with IBM SOA Foundation Products. Four Soft Inc, USA, a subsidiary of Four Soft Ltd has joined FCBF (Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association) as a trustee member.
3. The company is trying to strengthen its presence in the domestic market of transportation and logistic industry.
4. The company has recorded a slight improvement in performance in the Q3FY09 as compared to Q3FY08 on Y-o-Y basis (Standalone basis). On consolidated basis the results of the company for Q3FY09 are excellent considering the global slowdown. The following quarters are expected to be good considering improved operational efficiency by increased off shoring to India, favorable currency movement and cost reductions. The company is trying to rationalize its work force in order to cut cost and increase efficiency.
5. The company earlier informed that it has signed a contract with Calderhead Refrigerated
Transport, UK, to implement its warehouse management system - 4s eLog, in Calderhead's temperature controlled warehousing operations.
6. It is the market leader in the transportation and logistics segment with a large international client base including majority of top transportation and logistic companies in the world. With regional offices strategically located worldwide, it supports customers including DHL, Schenker, Agility, UTI, Geodis—Wilson.
7. The company has successfully deployed its warehouse management software application—4S elog at Rohlig Poland, a highly reputed freight forwarder and integrated logistic company in Poland. The test run at Rohlig Poland has yielded positive results and they have started to use the software in live environment from the second week of January, 2009. Rohlig Polland is long term client of the company who has been using CIEL and TWS applications (Legacy products of Four Soft). This implementation is expected to act as springboard for the company to sign more customers and generate more and more revenues.
8. In Q3FY09, six new customers were signed across geographies. The strategic win in the
December, 2008 quarter includes two large logistic companies in India. The company has also successfully implemented flagship products at several prestigious customer locations. The company has also signed a contract with Noordex BV, a Netherlands based freight forwarding/3P (Third Party Logistics) company to deploy its freight forwarding software—4S eTrans SME across Noordex BV’s multiple locations in the Netherlands. The contract will be executed through its subsidiary, Four Soft Netherlands BV.
Conclusion: The Four Soft Ltd has developed a reasonably attractive product portfolio in the niche areas of supply chain management for transportation and logistics industry domain. The economic slowdown will force many companies to look at cost reduction to boost profitability, which will benefit the company. From the charts it is seen that cross over has already taken place which is a bullish sign.
Moreover, Stochastic, Bollinger Bands, MACD, Williams %R are in buy mode. The stock has formed a very strong base around Rs.12.5 and which should be used as stop loss for any short term trade.