It is clear about Cleanaway’s growth into materials recovery which features more favorable economics than waste collection. Under its “Footprint 2025” capital allocation strategy, the group will continue to focus investment in materials recovery and waste-to-energy, or WTE.
Since fiscal 2016, Cleanaway has invested in excess of AUD 100 million in Greenfield materials recovery, waste treatment, and WTE projects. The recent purchase of the materials recovery assets of SKM Recycling represents a further step toward Cleanaway’s goal of moving further into the industry’s midstream.
Further diversifying Cleanaway away from waste collection is the acquisition of Toxfree in late fiscal 2018, skewing Cleanaway’s earnings stream away from collections, the most competitive segment of the waste management value chain.
Financial Strength
Cleanaway has made further progress on its proposed AUD 501 million acquisition of key Australian post-collection assets from Suez, securing new debt facilities which will allow the deal to be fully debt funded. Therefore, balance sheet flexibility post deal completion exists should further acquisition opportunities arise. Cleanaway’s liquidity position is more than ample to secure the business’ operations without external financing through the medium-term. With minimal debt maturities over the fiscal 2021-24 period, Cleanaway’s sources of cash—those being cash at bank, undrawn debt and operating cash flow–are more than sufficient to fund Cleanaway’s ongoing operations. Cleanaway’s earnings exhibit little volatility through the economic cycle. As a result, its conservatively positioned balance sheet provides ample flexibility for further capital allocation to materials recovery and waste disposal assets —whether bolt-on or Greenfield–under Cleanaway’s Footprint 2025 strategy.
Bull Says
- Cleanaway is benefiting from industry consolidation.
- Municipal waste contracts provide relatively stable cash flows through the economic cycle.
- Capital allocation improved markedly under outgoing CEO Vik Bansal’s guidance.
Company Profile
Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX: CWY) is Australia’s largest waste management business with a national footprint spanning collection, midstream waste processing, treatment and valorization, and downstream waste disposal. Cleanaway is active in municipal and commercial and industrial, or C&I, waste stream segments and in nonhazardous and hazardous liquid waste and medical waste streams following the acquisition of Toxfree in fiscal 2018. While Cleanaway is allocating greater capital to midstream waste processing and treatment, earnings remain skewed toward waste collection. Cleanaway is particularly strong in C&I and municipal waste collection with strong market share in all large Australian metro waste collection markets.
(Source: Morningstar)
General Advice Warning
Any advice/ information provided is general in nature only and does not take into account the personal financial situation, objectives or needs of any particular person.