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Investing.com - Morgan Stanley downgraded Worldline SA (EPA:WLN) from Equalweight to Underweight and slashed its price target to EUR1.80 from EUR3.80.
The downgrade comes as Morgan Stanley identifies three strategic paths for the payment services provider, none of which appear likely to drive positive investor sentiment in the near term.
Morgan Stanley outlined these options as: aggressive investment to modernize platforms at the expense of free cash flow; prioritizing cash flow while risking competitive erosion; or pursuing a balanced approach with targeted reinvestment and restructuring.
The firm expects Worldline management to detail its strategic direction at the Capital Markets Day in November, but expressed pessimism about immediate positive outcomes regardless of the path chosen.
Morgan Stanley summarized the company’s dilemma as "Under-invest and competitiveness remains in doubt; invest and near-term FCF support fades," concluding there are "no easy answers near term" for the payment processor.
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