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Investing.com - Barclays initiated coverage on Italian defense contractor Leonardo Spa (BIT:LDO) (OTC:FINMY) with an Equalweight rating and a price target of EUR51.00 on Tuesday. The stock has shown remarkable momentum, delivering a 106% return year-to-date and nearly 149% over the past year, according to InvestingPro data.
The research firm cited Leonardo’s comprehensive portfolio across aerospace, defense, and cybersecurity domains as a strength, but noted growth limitations due to the company’s high exposure to Italian and UK defense budgets, which may lag behind other European countries. With a market capitalization of $32.16 billion and an overall GOOD financial health score from InvestingPro, the company maintains a moderate debt level and healthy profit margins of nearly 40%.
Barclays highlighted concerns about Leonardo’s Aerostructures division, which it expects to remain loss-making for an extended period, potentially offsetting margin improvements in the company’s Helicopters, Cyber, and Space divisions.
The bank projects Leonardo’s earnings to grow approximately 11% annually until 2030, which falls significantly below the 39% growth rate forecast for Rheinmetall, Barclays’ preferred pick in the sector.
While acknowledging that Leonardo’s long-term targets could be conservative, Barclays emphasized that achieving these goals would require solid execution, no delays in restructuring programs, and successful implementation of all planned European initiatives. InvestingPro analysis reveals 7 additional investment tips and detailed metrics that could help investors better evaluate Leonardo’s growth potential.
In other recent news, Leonardo Spa has seen significant developments following the release of its first-half results. Kepler Cheuvreux, a financial services firm, upgraded Leonardo’s stock from Hold to Buy. This decision was influenced by Leonardo’s updated guidance, which included a 7% increase in its intake forecast and a 9% rise in its free operating cash flow forecast. Additionally, Kepler Cheuvreux raised its price target for Leonardo to EUR 58.00 from EUR 49.00. These changes reflect the company’s improved financial projections and are notable for investors monitoring the firm’s performance.
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