Smith & Nephew stock rating downgraded by Bernstein as valuation recovers

Published 14/10/2025, 09:28
Smith & Nephew stock rating downgraded by Bernstein as valuation recovers

Investing.com - Bernstein SocGen Group downgraded Smith & Nephew PLC. (LSE:SN) (NYSE:SNN) from Outperform to Market Perform with a price target of GBP14.00.

The downgrade follows a strong 33% rally in Smith & Nephew’s stock year-to-date in 2025, driven by solid revenue growth and improved profitability in the company’s Orthopedic division.

Bernstein noted that consensus earnings per share estimates for 2026 are now 10% higher than at the start of the year and slightly above the firm’s own expectations.

The medical technology company’s valuation has recently recovered, with the stock now trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18x after spending much of the past three years in the 15x to 18x range.

Bernstein indicated that while Smith & Nephew historically traded at a 1-year forward P/E of 17x to 22x, a lower multiple compared to pre-pandemic averages is warranted given the deterioration in the outlook for China in recent years.

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