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Investing.com - Goldman Sachs downgraded Keyence Corp . (6861:JP) (OTC:KYCCF) from Buy to Neutral on Thursday, while significantly lowering its price target to JPY63,000.00 from JPY82,000.00. The company, which boasts an impressive 83.8% gross profit margin and maintains a strong financial health score according to InvestingPro, currently trades at a P/E ratio of 33.9x.
The downgrade reflects Goldman Sachs’ assessment that investor expectations for increased shareholder returns have already been priced into the stock, leaving "little scope for surprise" according to the firm’s analysis.
Goldman Sachs noted that even if Keyence (TYO:6861) were to increase shareholder returns by two to three times current levels, the dividend yield would remain between just over 1% and under 2%, with a total payout ratio of approximately 40% to 60%.
These potential returns would fall short of large-cap machinery peers, which offer median yield and payout ratios of 2.4% and 45% respectively, according to Goldman Sachs’ research.
The investment bank indicated that while a fundamental change in perception would require more substantial actions like share buybacks, it considers the likelihood of such developments "low at this time," citing the company’s historically slow and limited approach to shareholder returns.
In other recent news, Keyence Corp. has experienced a downgrade from Citi, shifting its rating from Buy to Neutral. This change comes amid governance concerns highlighted by a decline in shareholder support for Keyence’s President, Nakata, during the company’s annual general meeting. Only 77% of shareholders supported his reelection, a decrease from previous years. Citi also lowered its price target for Keyence to JPY62,000 from JPY66,500. The downgrade reflects anticipated "underwhelming" first-quarter results and a valuation adjustment to align with lower valuations for global factory automation companies. Additionally, Keyence’s recent acquisition of a small private German 3D-CAD company has not eased investor concerns. These developments indicate growing investor frustration with the company’s resistance to change. The analyst firm’s remarks suggest that Keyence’s governance issues and financial outlook remain under scrutiny.
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