With no earnings upside, HPHT stays a dividend play: analysts

Singapore

AFTER a major sell-off following its removal from the MSCI Singapore Index, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPHT) has emerged as an attractive dividend yield play in the eyes of market watchers here.

But HPHT could stay as a tactical play for most investors as it looks unlikely to deliver earnings growth to bolster its share price against rising competition for transhipment volumes and an announced cut to base port tariff in China.

The port counter closed at US$0.305 on June 7, paring some losses after tumbling to an all-time low of US$0.27, though still nowhere close to its initial public offering (IPO) price of US$1.01 back in 2011.

OCBC analyst Deborah Ong pointed out that the recent major sell-off seen in HPHT stock post MSCI exclusion was mainly because "index funds have to match the index and ce…