Broker's take: Maybank keeps 'buy' call on Cordlife, Ezion

WITH a strong Asian platform for growth, Maybank Kim Eng has put a "buy" call on Cordlife Group, a provider of umbilical cord blood and cord lining banking, with a target price of S$1.35.

The research house said Cordlife has steadily transformed into a multi-product healthcare distributor in eight Asian countries. It noted there is strong growth in underpenetrated markets, notably India.

It maintained its "buy" call on the stock, adding that maiden dividends by China Cord Blood Corp, which may be payable before May, are another catalyst.

The research house also maintained its "buy" call on Ezion Holdings, an offshore oil and gas services provider, with a target price of S$1.83 at 9x FY2015E fully-diluted earnings per share.

Ezion is buoyed by strong demand for liftboats even as oil majors cut spending, said Maybank, adding that strong earnings visibility from secured contracts and stable rates also makes the company its top pick for offshore and marine stocks.