Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Berenberg initiates coverage on Smiths Group at 'hold'

(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg initiated coverage on diversified engineering business Smiths Group with a 'hold' rating and 1,757.0p target price on Friday, stating the firm's diversification provides some relative earnings resilience but reckons stronger performance exists elsewhere in the sector. Berenberg said Smiths' exposure was supported by structural growth drivers including energy security and energy transition, the need for greater global safety and security, increasing air travel globally, and growth in data and communications.

"The strength of the aftermarket model and multi-year order books of Smiths Detection provide some resilience for earnings, but with less gearing to an industrial recovery, which we think favours other stocks in the sector on a 12-month view," it noted.

In terms of earnings, the German bank forecasts for a roughly 10% earnings per share compound annual growth rate for FY24-FY26, slightly ahead of consensus, and its forecasts also factor in an annual £100.0m share buyback, which boosts EPS.

"Smiths trades on 15.3x FY25 P/E and 11.4x EV/EBIT. While we see attractions in Smiths, we think there is better value in other stocks in the sector," added Berenberg.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Broker tips: Direct Line, Morgan Advanced Materials, Melrose Industries, Pan African Resources
(Sharecast News) - Jefferies downgraded Direct Line on Tuesday to 'hold' from 'buy' and cut its price target on the stock to 165.0p from 235.0p, stating the industry-wide turn to deflation meant that the time to raise prices ahead of inflation without materially contracting the policy count has now passed.
Broker tips: Trustpilot, Ceres Power, Vistry
(Sharecast News) - Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of review platform Trustpilot on Monday with a 'buy' rating and 331p price target.
Broker tips: Auto Trader, Great Portland Estates, Relx
(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg lowered their target price on Auto Trader from 880.0p to 830.0p on Friday, stating the group's "noisy" H1 had raised questions.
Broker tips: Burberry, Smith and Nephew, 3i Group
(Sharecast News) - RBC Capital Markets upgraded Burberry on Wednesday to 'outperform' from 'sector perform' and hiked its price target on the stock to 900.0p from 650.0p.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.