On Wednesday, Stifel initiated coverage on Nexans (EPA:NEXS) SA (NEX:FP) (OTC: NXPRF) stock with a Hold rating and a price target of EUR123.10. The firm's assessment recognized Nexans as the second-largest operator in the high-voltage segment, which is currently driving significant revenue growth for the company in 2024 due to previous capacity expansion investments.
The high-voltage segment is anticipated to be the primary source of organic growth for Nexans in the coming years, potentially narrowing the profitability gap with its competitor, Prysmian (BIT:PRY).
The analyst from Stifel pointed out that while Nexans is showing positive revenue trends, the company's focus on a few large projects within its backlog could present higher risks of negative earnings revisions. This is due to the potential for delays or execution issues that could impact any of its major projects.
Nexans has been actively restructuring its portfolio to focus on electrification, having already sold its telecom division. The company is now planning to divest its Industry & Solutions business, which accounts for approximately 21% of the group's sales according to 2024 estimates. The Industry & Solutions business is notably tied to the automotive sector through the auto-harnesses business.
The sale of the Industry & Solutions business is expected to be a positive move for Nexans' share price, as the company has a successful history with acquisitions and integrations. However, Stifel also cautions that the large-scale change in the company's focus could introduce higher execution risk, which might affect the company's earnings momentum.
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