Morgan Stanley downgrades Fomento Economico Mexicano stock on operational concerns

Published 19/08/2025, 08:14
Morgan Stanley downgrades Fomento Economico Mexicano stock on operational concerns

Investing.com - Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) downgraded Fomento Economico Mexicano (NYSE:FMX) from Overweight to Equalweight on Tuesday, while significantly reducing its price target to $97.00 from $132.00. According to InvestingPro analysis, FMX is currently trading below its Fair Value, suggesting potential upside opportunity despite the downgrade.

The downgrade follows what Morgan Stanley described as a second-quarter earnings miss and continued stock underperformance. The stock, currently trading at $85.31, has declined 20.84% over the past year, while maintaining a healthy revenue growth of 9.84% and an 8.29% dividend yield.

The investment bank cited three key concerns supporting its new Equalweight rating, including expectations that OXXO operations may struggle for several more quarters, with Morgan Stanley’s EBITDA forecast now 5% below consensus estimates. InvestingPro data shows the company maintains a FAIR financial health score, with particularly strong marks in profitability metrics.

Morgan Stanley also highlighted concerns about higher-than-expected cash taxes, projecting a 37% effective tax rate versus 33% previously, which puts its 2026 net income estimate approximately 20% below consensus.

The firm noted that as investor focus has shifted toward price-to-earnings ratios rather than EV/EBITDA, FEMSA Retail now trades at approximately 21x P/E, removing what had been a valuation support for the stock.

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