Jaks recent rise is almost a given

From lows of 42 sen, Jaks shares had made a comeback quite quickly - to now 79 sen. In that period of between 18 December 2018 to now, these were the happenings:

- Ang Lam Poah awarded himself 25.164 million shares under the Restricted Share Plan scheme. That's about 5% of new shares for free.
- Jaks had to bear a RM 25.5 million charge on its loss given Star exercised on the bank guarantee in January 2019
- Ang Lam Poah had a close call as an old man fought him tooth and nail over the company, in the process asked him to do all kinds of things including issuing free warrants. (There could be more which I did not manage to track)
- Additional warrants were also issued with Jaks issuing a 1 warrant for 2 shares held. These warrants were not free but one has to pay 25 sen for it. (This basically also additionally cornered KYY as he probably had to come out with a substantial sum of money for the warrants)

Checking back, I have written this article on Jaks 2 years ago. At that time, I knew KYY was going to corner himself given the amount that he had been purchasing. He went to buy more after that and the highest he and his wife were holding was close to 30%. He was basically asking the public to bail him out. See below.

Of course, in that fight over shareholdings, as I have mentioned Ang Lam Poah would have fought back, and fought back he did. He did not have the funds to challenge and given the ridicularity of the exercise, there would not be a 2 party proxy fight.

Ang Lam Poah knew he had the upper hand. In the end, the condition of the market (which was bad after GE14) as well as the selling by smaller shareholders whom were taking opportunity to sometimes sell to KYY, it was obvious there would be huge pullback. The pullback was further made worse by a huge selling (including margin calls) of close to 30%. Imagine 30% or more shares changed hands over a period of 6 months. There was bound to be oversold position especially when the fundamental was little change - except for the RM50 million bank guarantee which was call upon in the Star vs Jaks case.

All in all, KYY was not honest, and I remember reading somewhere where he said the purchase of Jaks was meant for the long term - which obviously was a lie.

On Jaks and whether at this price is it fairly priced

In another one of my article, I have mentioned that Jaks had a lucrative contract. It is not yet completed and scheduled to be completed partially only by 2020. I am not so sure of Jaks' capabilities in the execution, but with its China's partner - it should as CPECC does have the capabilities. At its current market capitalisation of around RM461 million despite Ang Lam Poah giving himself free shares, it is probably still undervalued as that power plant contract itself is substantial.

Another potential upside is that if we check around situations around Vietnam, currently it is facing shortages of power supplies towards the future, given that it is hugely industrialised now. The US China trade war presents a lot of opportunities for Vietnam and power is needed.

Personally, I do not like the way free shares were awarded to the CEO and his director, but I guess he also did it to protect himself. Another person that comes along may be more professional and deeper pockets than KYY.

But, as in any person sometimes there are some trading opportunities and this seems to be one of it.

What is not rightly written on JAKS by KYY

KYY has the tendency of not saying it all whenever he writes. 

Let me put into perspective. on this article that he writes. (Why I bought in JAKS)

His statements:

Malaysia’s first IPP

The YTL Group was just like any other ordinary contractor before the company was awarded its maiden IPP in Malaysia. From a humble beginning, YTL Corporation Bhd’s market cap today stands at RM1.65 bil (actually this is a mistake, it is RM16.5 billion and much more dividends before this), that of YTL Power International Bhd at RM12.8 bil and  YTL Land and Development Bhd (RM578 mil).

Additionally, the YTL Group also owns YTL Cement Bhd, YTL Hospitality REIT, among others.

Investors would recall that on Sept 29, 1992, a total power blackout engulfed the nation for several days. This landmark incident sparked a privatisation of the power generation sector that broke the dawn for IPPs in Malaysia.

In the process, Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s monopoly of the power generation sector was dismantled by then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as YTL Power was awarded the nation’s first IPP licence in 1993.

As a result, the YTL Group has been making unprecedented amount of profit every year. Before it secured the IPP, the YTL Group was just an ordinary contractor but today, it is so different.

What is not correct in his statement?

YTL's IPP during then was the sweetest ever that nobody else would have gotten it. Tenaga was sort of forced to do an offtake. Tenaga was asked to take up YTL's generation whether Tenaga needed it or not. In another words, in layman's term, whether there is such demand for example, 80% of the generation, Tenaga has to take it - even if there is no such usage demand. Another thing which is very important in that deal is that YTL's costs is fixed - meaning the fuel generation costs are already subsidised at a fixed rate. Other parties - if not wrong Tenaga and Petronas has to consume the fluctuations.

Please read this article if you are serious into investing into JAKS.

How Malaysia's IPP was born. 
This is obviously correct, as it comes from the horses mouth - the Executive Chairman of Tenaga then, and many more people know about this.

In fact, if you walk into Tenaga and asked people whom are in the know of the deal during those days, they will say, they will never give a project to YTL anymore, NO MATTER WHAT! That was more than 20 years back and many people today will not know about it.

Think about it, if YTL can pull a deal then in a year, why does it need JAKS to pull a deal in Vietnam over 6 years. It is not that sweet. 

Another of his statement which is not true until now

Many people also ask me when will I sell my holdings. Since I know JAKS will be making a lot of profit in the next 3 years during the construction and 40% of the profit from the sales of electricity for 25 years, I intend to keep all my shares for many years.

I obviously do not know KYY's net worth - it seems it is a lot, but HE HAS BEEN BUYING ON CREDIT. His purchases if you really read is all on pledged account. He and his wife's. How do you read this? Look at the red boxes.

JAKS although it is good, it is not generating good important cashflow for it to pay dividends even for few years to come. For a person to hold it until beyond 2020, he needs to get the company to pay him back (to support his pledged accounts) - either dividend or capital appreciation! JAKS is not going to pay dividend. Does anyone know that JAKS has never paid dividend before - not in last 17 years! Unless, KYY arm-twist the company to do that it is not obliged to pay dividend. And the company has no cashflow to do that.

If dividend is not forthcoming, he has to sell to pay his interests from the sale of his shares in JAKS. Hence, he will not hold for long term, he will sell some. He is pumping and dumping along the way.

His other holdings e.g. Latitude Tree has proven that.

See below. He bought a substantial stake (more than 5%) and continue to buy more after November 2014.

However, by Nov 2015, he has ceased to be a substantial shareholder. That's a year. He IS NOT A LONG TERM INVESTOR. PERIOD. He buys in and ask you to buy so that he can buy out.

What is unsure...

The profit of about RM400 mil for JAKS will flow back into the JV company to fund JAKS’ equity portion. In other words, JAKS only needs to fork out RM203mil to own a 30% stake in the power plant. JAKS is also given an option to buy up another 10% of the JV company.

Nowhere in JAKS announcement that says it is using the profit to put back into the JV company. Unless, he has inside information, which I would like to know as well. Also, usually, deals are not done that way - unless of course the China partner is such a nice partner - could happen.

What is correct in JAKS?

1. Please read my article here. JAKS in getting this project, assuming they can complete this project will be very good for the company, but one must know that JAKS has only 30% of the IPP (and option to grow to 40%, but even then the costs of buying the additional 10% is not known) - it is not even the controlling shareholder in that IPP anymore. However, the keyword is assuming they complete this project, which I think they can do - but remember it is 2020. At this moment, JAKS is sucking cashflow until 2020. 

2. JAKS would not be getting a deal as lucrative as YTL. In fact, no one gets a deal as lucrative as YTL. I again request you to read that article by Kinibiz (put it up again), as it is long and mind consuming to read it - including for me.

3. IPP (or concession like) projects with good IRR is great and I like projects like this - which is also why I bought into company like WCE but they will not get as sweet a deal as that company. It is true that the deal alone made YTL what it is today and even more that you do not see. (Such as with the cashflow, they were able to buy Starhill, Marriott and Lot10 at ridiculous low price during the 1997 crisis - in fact, 1 year profit and cashflow from the IPP enabled it to buy that entire piece of place in Bukit Bintang. That's how powerful it was. YTL Power was generating around RM500 million cashflow and they can buy these prime properties at RM323 million at worst of times, whose money - Tenaga and our rakyat's money!)

4. Despite whatever we can say good abut JAKS, all the good things that is written about JAKS, its main shareholders has not done anything to proof to me they are good directors and will share their returns with shareholders. This I am aware.

What is being speculated by me on KYY's latest article?

I am obliged to declare that I am the largest shareholder of JAKS and that I’m not asking readers to buy JAKS to support its share price. If readers decide to buy, then they are doing so at their own risk.

No, as proven again and again, he is asking us to support the share price so that he can dump onto us. Why? He seems to be in a rock and a hard place. While he has bought until 26% of JAKS, it appears that the current, controlling shareholder is not playing ball. They are calling a placement. It seems that there is no truce yet. The current shareholder can't push up (but fighting) to support KYY's sale, hence calling this placement in such a hurry.

Why I am writing this? I see writing by a so-called super investor as something that people follow a lot. It is important to write responsibly. I am not attacking him but would want to put things into right perspective. In fact, I am holding JAKS as well - not in large volume. I could have let him have his writing and I ride along as well. But investment is not for one to just pump and dump onto other shareholders. But for all to enjoy a long term ride. JAKS can still be a long term share.

I am surprised. I am half his age but yet has more responsibility when writing. (I need more money than him, but all the money in this world is not everything. Moreover, in investment, if one is careful and humble enough, we can survive and do well, better than taking a passive stand - this I believe)

Recently, obviously with the much speculation in shares (which is good), there are many more of these writers whom are just being greedy and irresponsible when writing. Some of whom, I have no intention of even countering. But it is for investors to be really careful and study.

Thanks to KYY for JAKS

Thanks to KYY for JAKS. At the very least he has managed to get the management of JAKS to issue a private placement at a better price for the current shareholders.

He is not the minority anymore as the latest announcement is that he and his wife owns now close to 26% of JAKS. I believe at RM1.36, he is getting his money worth assuming that JAKS's Private Placement is fully subscribed.

In this round, he has managed to get the management to take care of the smaller guys.

What is he going to do with such high percentage of holding beats me? I however suggest, perhaps he can do a Warren Buffett - i.e. what he did to Berkshire Hathaway 51 years ago. Not too late...

My earlier article on JAKS is below:


Jaks: Great Idea but is it great execution?

JAKS: Great idea but is it great execution?

I have to give it to Mr Koon Yew Yin. He sees a good company with a very good project. Basically, Jaks Resources without the power plant project is an average company but with the IPP project it is a more than an average company with an attractive price.

What has it gotten with the IPP in Vietnam? Basically as below, a BOT (transfer - after 25 years) project and its partner CPECC has bought into the project by funding a huge portion of it.

What JAKS has to do now (which it has done) is to fulfill its portion by coming out with USD140.14 million while CPECC will come out with the other portion. In addition, CPECC will build the bulk of the project and come out with Redeemable Convertible Preference Shares (RCPS) to fulfill the equity portion. (On top of that, the RCPS comes with zero dividend costs) CPECC has also gotten the financing for the project as well with its corporate guarantee. It should be noted that CPECC is huge power plant consulting company in China. Its parent, China Energy Engineering is a HKD43B company, which means and says a lot.

The structure is as per below:

Ultimately, JAKS can own up to 40% of the project and it now has a partner whom can deliver. On top of that, it gets a substantial portion of work which can be translated into construction profits from this project.

Do I have reason to believe it can be delivered? Yes.
Do I have reason to trust the project has decent to good return? I should think so considering the interest from CPECC. It has country risks obviously, but this one sounds to be more secure.

Now, all that is good as if it is able to secure good IRR, this basically is a great investment with Jaks trading at about RM535 million valuation. (Jaks has mentioned of it eyeing at least a 10% IRR.)

With that, it is definitely not wrong for a person who understands construction to wallop - and wallop he did. Another point to note is that the controlling shareholder - Mr Ang Lam Poah only owns around 8% to 9% of the company on paper. (I would tend to think he definitely has supports from his other friendly shareholders.) What Mr Ang did wrong was that he took a long time to accumulate the shares, probably thinking of getting them at cheap - below RM1.

Seeing opportunities (probably), Mr Koon Yew Yin bought the shares in a very quick manner and in the process, accumulated more than 11% over a short period of time. (Mr Koon is now, the single largest shareholder) At the point of him becoming a substantial shareholder, it triggered the attention of Ang's group, I believe. Jaks announced an unusual quarterly 31 Dec 2016 loss and at the same time, announced that it is to do a 10% private placement.

KYY's holding has increased to 11.7% by 1 March 2017

Does Jaks has enough bullets to defend the onslaught? I should think so. It has many defensive tools to do that - and it has already done so by announcing a private placements. Private placements as we know can go to friendly parties. Basically, Jaks can do many more of private placements and as long as Koon does not acquire enough to take control - he can't do much. (That has been proven in the case where QL was unable to takeover Lay Hong, and QL I would think is even deeper pockets, but they can't do much.)

Can Mr Koon do much? We shall see. And I do not think he is keen to takeover anyway - as the project is for Mr Ang to lose (he is the person, whom have worked hard to pull everything together), moreover Koon is not in the right age to do that. A new management could jeopardize the project.

Mr Koon's past records have been more of a short to medium term investor - come in - make a kill and go. With that, (I would think) Mr Ang has reasons to be afraid and not to entertain much requests. The ball is in Ang's court to play and decide how to play.

(You see, if I have Warren Buffett as my shareholder, I should feel proud. But, if I have Carl Icahn as my shareholder - I would put on more defences surrounding me, because of animal instincts. In this case though, activists investing may not work well.)

Will someone like Mr Koon ask for a favourable return from the shares? Almost a surety. Why would he invests into Jaks anyway? - and this manner of buying.

The biggest question is - if Jaks current controlling shareholders do not want to play ball - the shares can be stuck at RM1.10 to RM1.30 for a long time - something that a shorter term shareholder would not want! It could end up being you buy to push up your own share price. You can buy but you cannot sell at a profit.

One thing for sure (unless with a deal being made, the private placements may not be that cheap - at least not the type of price which Ang and his group have been buying at i.e. around RM1 - and the way Mr Koon has been buying.)

This is quite interesting turns out and a lesson to note in the long term.