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Citi cuts Atlassian stock target, maintains buy rating on sustained growth

EditorNatashya Angelica
Published 02/08/2024, 12:54
TEAM
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On Friday, Citi adjusted its outlook on shares of Atlassian (NASDAQ:TEAM) Corporation (NASDAQ:TEAM), reducing the price target to $245 from the previous $265 while retaining a Buy rating on the shares. The software company's fourth-quarter results showed a shortfall in Cloud revenue and an in-line performance in Data Center (DC) revenue, which led to a muted overall revenue upside. However, the firm noted that Atlassian's operating margin (OPM) and free cash flow (FCF) remained strong despite these challenges.

Citi's analysis highlighted Atlassian's sustained growth, with Cloud and DC revenues still increasing by over 30% and 40% year-over-year, respectively. Additionally, the firm emphasized the company's impressive free cash flow margin (FCFM) of over 35%. Atlassian's valuation appears attractive to Citi, with the stock trading at less than 10 times enterprise value to sales (EV/S) and less than 30 times enterprise value to free cash flow (EV/FCF).

The report also addressed a conservative Cloud revenue guide below consensus and an initiation of fiscal year 2025 revenue estimates at 16% year-over-year, contrasting with the company's objective of a 20%+ revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This conservative stance, along with the unexpected transition of a sales leader, is expected to put pressure on the stock as investors might be skeptical about the potential for re-acceleration in growth.

Despite these near-term headwinds and the stock's recent sideways movement, Citi remains optimistic. The firm reaffirmed Atlassian's position on its Focus List, citing the company's steady profitability, adjustments for fiscal year 2024 headwinds, and what Citi perceives as Atlassian's increased forecasting prudence in light of macroeconomic factors and go-to-market (GTM) challenges. Citi believes these factors contribute to a clearer path for positive estimate revisions in the near to medium term.

In other recent news, Atlassian Corporation has seen a variety of analyst adjustments, with Citi reducing its price target to $245 while retaining a Buy rating, noting a shortfall in Cloud revenue but strong operating margin and free cash flow.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded Atlassian to Buy, setting a new price target of $230, emphasizing the completion of a challenging phase of cloud transition. However, Baird downgraded Atlassian to Neutral due to concerns over revenue guidance and uncertainties in enterprise go-to-market functions.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) maintained an Overweight rating on Atlassian, expressing confidence in Atlassian's Cloud offerings and their potential for sustained growth, despite reducing the price target to $225. Mizuho kept an Outperform rating on Atlassian, albeit with a slightly reduced price target, reflecting tempered expectations for the company's fourth fiscal quarter. Piper Sandler upgraded Atlassian's stock to Overweight, citing a favorable risk/reward balance and the company's robust fundamental performance.

These are recent developments, reflecting a mixture of optimism and caution among analysts regarding Atlassian's future. The company's robust cloud growth, strategic milestones, and potential for cloud migrations, particularly among enterprise customers, are seen as positive indicators. These insights provide a nuanced view of Atlassian's current situation and future prospects.

InvestingPro Insights

As Atlassian Corporation (NASDAQ:TEAM) navigates through its recent financial results and market challenges, real-time data from InvestingPro provides a deeper insight into the company's performance and valuation. The current market capitalization stands at $45.09 billion, reflecting the scale of the enterprise.

Despite not being profitable over the last twelve months, Atlassian boasts an impressive gross profit margin of 81.86%, underscoring its ability to maintain high profitability on its products and services. This aligns with the positive outlook from Citi regarding the company's sustained growth and strong free cash flow margin.

InvestingPro Tips indicate that analysts predict Atlassian will be profitable this year, which may reassure investors concerned about the company's near-term growth potential. Moreover, the company operates with a moderate level of debt, which can be a stabilizing factor in uncertain economic times. For those interested in the broader context of Atlassian's financial health and future prospects, InvestingPro features additional tips, with a total of 9 tips available for further exploration.

In terms of valuation, Atlassian is trading at a high Price / Book multiple of 39.76, suggesting that investors are willing to pay a premium for the company's book value, possibly due to the anticipated future growth. The InvestingPro Fair Value estimate is at $164.72, offering a grounded perspective on the company's intrinsic value compared to recent market prices. Citi's revised price target of $245 suggests that there is still significant confidence in Atlassian's market performance despite the recent adjustments.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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