Resilient Vp has potential

Vp's contract mix does, indeed, include defensive strands through exposure to the UK water industry's capital spending and railways maintenance work. But that doesn't necessarily mean Vp's shares will underperform once investors regain their appetite for risk taking. That's because Vp, like all equipment-rental operators, has lots of operational gearing - as demand for its equipment rises and revenues respond, its costs stay little changed.

Vp is also likely to be a beneficiary of end-market recovery in the UK due to its efficient operating structure and proactive management. Its record of never cutting a dividend is an obvious draw for investors. However, there is also an implied upside of around one-third from the current share price of 685p if Vp's rating relative to its peer group - as measured by the price-earnings ratio on their shares - recovers to its historic average. True, this rating discount is mostly in relation to Vp's overseas peers, so the widening has been predominantly linked to the relative decline of the UK's support services sector.

The group's focus on specialist segments of the equipment hire market has seen consistent improvement in profit margins and return on capital. The corporate structure comprises six operating divisions: UK Forks, Groundforce, Airpac Bukom Oilfield Services, Hire Station, Torrent Trackside and TPA. The group’s operations stretch across the UK, Ireland and into mainland Europe, and its oil and gas business operates internationally from a network of hubs across the globe. Predictably, this segment of the business has caused some consternation due to the fall-away in capital spending across the oil and gas industry. The effects of the industry-wide retrenchment were reflected in Vp's first-half figures, when Airpac Bukom reported a 25 per cent contraction in revenue, although a focus on cost controls meant that profit margins held up reasonably well.

The group continues to see encouraging remits from the construction and housebuilding industries. This was reflected in the performance of Hire Station in the first half, where revenue and profit were up 9 per cent and 27 per cent respectively. All told, the group claims a highly creditable 16.1 per cent return on equity at the half-year mark, against 14.9 per cent in the previous first half.