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Investing.com - CFRA downgraded Swiss Life Holding (SIX:SLHN) (OTC:SZLMY) from Hold to Sell on Monday, while simultaneously raising its price target to CHF840.00 from CHF800.00.
The downgrade comes despite Swiss Life’s Q1 2025 fee income growth of 3% year-over-year to CHF659 million, which aligns with management’s 2027 target to achieve a fee result exceeding CHF1 billion. The company showed steady momentum in third-party asset management, which grew 8% quarter-over-quarter, although International fee income declined 5% year-over-year.
CFRA’s higher price target reflects an increased 2025 price-to-book value of 3.3x, representing 1.5 standard deviations above the three-year mean of 2.3 standard deviations. This implies a 2026 price-to-earnings ratio of 17.4x, exceeding the peer average of 12.3x despite Swiss Life’s return on equity of 17.2% being comparable to the sub-industry average of 17.5%.
The research firm maintained its forecasts pending Swiss Life’s upcoming results scheduled for September 3, 2025. Currently, the stock trades at a 40% premium to the sub-sector’s 2025 price-to-book value average of 2.5x.
CFRA justified its downgrade by citing Swiss Life’s "lofty valuations" amid a softening insurance market, noting the company’s moderate 2024-2027 compound annual growth rate for earnings per share of 6.1% compared to the peer average of 12.2%.
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