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On Tuesday, Barclays (LON:BARC) analyst Matthew Bouley maintained an Overweight rating on Core & Main Inc. (NYSE:CNM) with a steady price target of $65.00. Bouley’s outlook for the company anticipates a favorable response from the market, influenced by Core & Main’s gross margin, which remained stable at 26.6%, and revenue that slightly exceeded analyst expectations.
Core & Main’s financial guidance for the fiscal year 2025 suggests a performance in line with consensus estimates. The company projects revenues between $7.6 billion and $7.8 billion, compared to the Street’s expectation of $7.77 billion. Additionally, the forecasted EBITDA ranges from $950 million to $1 billion, while the Street’s anticipation stands at $989 million. Management at Core & Main has indicated an anticipation of flat to slightly positive industry demand for the year, with a modest uptick in municipal repair and remodeling projects.
The company’s management team also expects gross margin expansion during the fiscal year 2025. Bouley pointed out that further details regarding the progress of gross margins, deflation trends, end market performance, and potential mergers and acquisitions would be discussed during the company’s conference call at 8:30 am ET.
Investors and analysts are keen to understand the company’s strategic approach in the face of these financial projections. Core & Main’s guidance, which encompasses both top-line revenue and EBITDA, reflects confidence in the company’s ability to navigate the current market and potentially expand its gross margins.
The company’s performance and future outlook are of particular interest to stakeholders, with the upcoming conference call expected to shed light on Core & Main’s strategies for growth and value creation in the forthcoming fiscal year.
In other recent news, Core & Main Inc. reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, revealing revenue that surpassed market expectations. The company achieved net sales of nearly $1.7 billion, slightly exceeding the forecasted $1.68 billion, marking an 18% increase from the same quarter last year. However, earnings per share (EPS) fell short, coming in at $0.33 against the anticipated $0.36. Despite the mixed results, the company maintained stable gross margins at 26.6% and generated $621 million in operating cash flow. Looking ahead to fiscal 2025, Core & Main projects net sales between $7.6 billion and $7.8 billion, with an anticipated adjusted EBITDA of $950 million to $1 billion.
JPMorgan reiterated its Overweight rating on Core & Main with a price target of $54.00, highlighting the company’s adjusted EBITDA performance which aligned with consensus expectations. The firm noted Core & Main’s 17.9% sales growth, slightly above its estimate, though the company’s margins fell short of JPMorgan’s forecast. Additionally, Core & Main’s unexpected management change saw the CFO transition to CEO and the SVP of Finance/Investor Relations to CFO, with JPMorgan expecting a neutral impact on the stock pending further details. These developments underscore Core & Main’s strategic focus on growth and stability amidst changing market conditions.
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