Entertainment first company that contains learning: Nazara Technologies

Update on the Indian Equity Market:

On Monday, NIFTY settled 109 points lower at 17,675 (-0.6%). HCLTECH (-2.7%), LT (-2.6%), and INFY (-2.5%) were the top losers. GRASIM (+2.6%), ADANIPORTS (+1.8%), and CIPLA (+1.5%) were the gainers. Among the sectors, IT (-1.1%), FINANCIAL SERVICES (-0.56%) and FINANCIAL SERVICES 25/50  (-0.53%) led the losers OIL&GAS (+1.9%), MEDIA (+1.4%), and REALTY (+1.1%) were the gainers.

Excerpts of an interview with Mr. Manish Agarwal, CEO, Nazara Technologies (NAZARA) published in Business Standard on 9^th April 2022:

• The journey from a telco value-added services provider in 2017 to a diversified e-sports company gives the belief that the company had volume, velocity, leadership, IPs, and also the predictability and visibility of revenues.
• The telco subscription business segment currently contributes less than 10% of total business and the business that the company was not operating in the last five years, is now dominating the portfolio.
• Skill-based real money gaming contributes only 4% of the company’s business while its market share in the gaming industry is almost 80%.
• But the company is not aggressively expanding its offerings in the real money gaming business segment as it doesn’t have more clarity. With more clarity on taxation of skill-based real money gaming, the offerings will be expanded.
• NAZARA is an entertainment-first company that also contains learning, NAZARA is not a learning-first company like Byju’s or Unacadamy. NAZARA has an aim that the child should get entertained and along with entertainment children can get a certain amount of learning.
• The Company’s product portfolio has varied offerings for different age groups. For the age group of 2-7 years the company has the subscription-based product which is Kiddopia and for the age group of 7-12 years company has games like Roblox where kids have a social community and they can create their games.
• To expand its business the company is making investments to acquire more IP’s, distribution capabilities, and advertising tech stacks for better monetization. After expanding in India, the company plans to expand its business in the Middle East and Africa.
• NAZARA’s positioning as a gaming company from India has a halo effect and other benefits that will result in the coming years but it’s tough to explain the company’s diversified portfolio and gaming business model.

Asset Multiplier Comments

• We expect that the increased penetration of skill-based real money gaming and which contributes ~80% to the gaming market to create new opportunities for the company where the company doesn’t have a strong presence.
• We believe that the reopening of schools and colleges may impact the number of users as students are now busy with offline schools and examinations. However, 1QFY23 might be a strong quarter for the company due to school vacations. Its diversified product offering is a key positive for the company.

Consensus Estimate: (Source: market screener website)

• The closing price of Nazara Technologies was ₹ 1,675/- as of 11-April-2022. It traded at 81/ 54x the consensus EPS estimate of ₹ 21/31/- for FY23E/FY24E respectively.
• The consensus target price of ₹ 2,428/- implies a P/E Multiple of 78x on the FY24E EPS estimate of ₹ 31/-.

Disclaimer: “The views expressed are for information purposes only. The information provided herein should not be considered as investment advice or research recommendation. The users should rely on their own research and analysis and should consult their own investment advisors to determine the merit, risks, and suitability of the information provided.”