JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) has seen its share price rocket up 16.6% in the past month to above $21, compared to the 0.6% fall in the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) over the same period.
The consumer electronics retailer has mainly benefitted from the rapid demise of rival Dick Smith Holdings Ltd (ASX: DSH), which went into voluntary administration earlier this week.
Dick Smith had failed to gain the support of its banking syndicate and was unable to secure additional debt funding to prop the company up. The company reported that sales and cash generation in December were below management expectations – despite a monster discount sale with some items priced at up to 70% off.
Analysts suggest Dick Smith is unlikely to survive in its current format, and could close more than 100 of its 395 stores. Since its IPO, Dick Smith had rolled out an additional 72 stores, but clearly that was a mistake with many likely unprofitable. That could mean an additional $200 million in sales and $20 million in additional earnings for JB Hi-Fi according to analysts.
In stark contrast to Dick Smith's rollout of stores, JB Hi-Fi has been reducing the number of its regular consumer electronics stores, converting many to HOME stores, which sell appliances and white goods. With a lower cost of doing business and what appears to be a much better retailing strategy, JB Hi-Fi has clearly had the wood over Dick Smith for years.
JB Hi-Fi has confounded critics who say the bricks-and-mortar consumer electronics business is dead, managing to not only remain competitive but continue to post impressive sales and earnings per share growth over the past decade.
At the current price of around $21, JB Hi-Fi shares are trading on a prospective P/E ratio of around 14.7x and paying a dividend yield of around 4.3%, fully franked. That appears to be a decent price for one of Australia's best consumer electronics retailers.
