Edel - ermination of coverage

Edison Investment Research is terminating coverage on: • 2G Energy (2GB) • Apontis Pharma (APPH) • Artec technologies (A6T) • Beta Systems (BSSA) • Blue Cap (B7E) • Cyan (CYR) • Consus Real Estate (CC1) • Daldrup & Soehne (4DS) • DATAGROUP (D6H) • Datron (DAR) • Delignit (DLX) • Deutsche Börse (DB1) • Deutsche Grundstücksauktionen (DGR) • Deutsche Rohstoff (DR0) • DVS Technology (DIS) • Edel (EDL) • Ernst Russ (HXCK) • Exasol (EXL) • expert.ai (EXAI/EXSY) • Fashionette (FSNT) • Formycon (FYB)

Edel - Streaming and vinyl press ahead

Edel’s FY21 results (to 30 September) showed the benefits of continuing strong demand for the group’s wide range of digital content, alongside the sustained demand for physical vinyl. H221 revenue was 26% ahead of the prior year, delivering overall FY21 revenue growth of 17% to €251m, well ahead of management’s guided range of €220–230m. Inflation and supply chain issues ate into H221 margins and this is set to be an ongoing feature through FY22, with guidance on revenue and net income broadly f

Edel - Digital and physical up in harmony

Edel’s H121 figures showed good progress, with revenues ahead by 11% to €123.3m and an EBITDA margin of 13.0%, up from 9.2% in H120. Digital revenues continued to benefit from the growth of the music streaming platforms, while the continuing popularity of vinyl is supporting results at optimal media. The expansion of co-operation with Universal Music Group bodes well particularly for FY22 and on, with guidance increased also for FY21. The share price is up 83% over the past 12 months yet it cont

Edel - Good demand for lockdown entertainment

Edel’s FY20 results were ahead of previous indications, as demand for home entertainment content rose due to pandemic restrictions across Europe. The group’s range of physical and digital provision enabled it to counter the impact of closures of physical retail. A lower cost base at optimal media helped support H2 margins, but momentum remains firmly in digital, particularly in music. Here the group is well placed to continue to benefit from streaming growth. The shares trade at a substantial di

Edel - Mixed media markets

Edel’s H120 figures showed a 3% uplift in revenues versus H119, but at a slightly lower gross margin reflecting the shift in mix. Kontor New Media is benefiting from the continued growth of streaming and the book and vinyl markets have continued to perform well. However, sales of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray are still under pressure, exacerbated by the closure of physical retail outlets due to COVID-19. The shares trade at a discount to global entertainment content and publishing stocks on historical E

Edel - Further shift in mix to digital

Edel’s FY19 figures showed flat revenues against FY18, with a dip in profitability. This mostly reflects lower demand and pricing pressure at optimal media, the segment handling physical production and distribution. Increased depreciation following earlier capital investment exacerbated the effect on EBIT, down 25%. The shift in revenue to digital benefits working capital and the reversion of capex to maintenance levels should also help reduce group debt, refinanced post year-end on more favoura

Edel - Streaming positivity

Edel’s H119 results to March showed a modest improvement in revenues, which were up 2% on the prior period, and a broadly stable EBITDA and margin. Increased depreciation impacts further down the income statement. Management has been passed down a generation to Jonas Haentjes, post Edel’s transition to a partnership limited by shares (the founding family retains its 64% stake). The shares trade at a substantial discount to global entertainment content and publishing stocks, partly due to the lim

Edel - Mixed media

Edel’s FY18 results showed a 6% sales increase and 7% improvement in EBITDA as it benefited from continued demand for vinyl and subsidiary Kontor New Media’s strong positioning in digital music. H2 was markedly tougher, as foreshadowed in the November trading update, reflecting pressure on the book publishing, one-off issues at Pandastorm Pictures and a write-down at Edel Italy. Guidance for FY19 indicates broadly stable revenues but significantly improved profitability, benefiting from the majo

Edel - Pressing ahead

Edel’s H118 results to March showed good top-line progress (+8%) and an uplift in EBITDA margins from 9.3% to 9.8% as digital activities gained in importance. While revenue was marginally behind expectations, an unchanged full-year forecast assumes a stronger H2 than usual, reflecting the good momentum. The investment programme is starting to pay back, with a full year’s impact in FY19e, when forecast margins have edged up. Edel has changed its status to a partnership limited by shares, reflecti

Edel - Booking record growth

Edel’s results to September 2017 were comfortably ahead of earlier guidance, revised post year-end. Revenues were boosted by good demand at Optimal Media, particularly for vinyl records, increased music streaming and by a good performance in cookery and health-related books. The capital investment programme is boosting market positioning while the earlier refinancing has reduced the interest burden. The group is majority family-owned with limited market liquidity, which partly explains the modes

Making records

Edel AG’s interim results show continued progress, particularly at Optimal Media where there was ‘significant’ progress in sales and earnings, buoyed by the continued resurgence of vinyl. Only the first few weeks of the new deal with Universal Music will have been included. Kontor New Media also made good progress and has been expanding its reach, while the books offering also performed well. The record label had less positive trading, with no major break-out hits released. The group is majority

All-round entertainer

Edel AG is unusual in combing extensive entertainment content (owned and/or licensed) with the ability to manufacture physical assets and distribute both physical and digital formats. The resurgence of demand for vinyl has boosted its recent manufacturing earnings, while the breadth and diversity of the overall offering provides considerable portfolio benefits. The group is majority family-owned, with limited market liquidity. This partially explains the modest rating, at a discount to global en

Pinewood Technologies (PINE LN) - Driving growth in automotive software

Pinewood’s transition to a pure-play automotive SaaS business is now largely complete. Today we introduce summary forecasts out to FY26 and reiterate the investment case. We see significant opportunity for Pinewood to grow its user base in the UK and internationally whilst generating high EBITDA margins and cash conversion. With a 24.5p special dividend embedded in the current price (payable Q1/Q2), the effective price today is 12.3p. Based on the Group’s FY27 target of £27m EBITDA, we estimate

PROGRESSIVE: Vertu Motors: Traction control

Vertu is the fourth largest automotive retailer in the UK, with 188 sales outlets and a track record of cross-cycle growth, principally through businesses it has acquired, funded by equity, debt and most importantly cash generation. Vertu operates across the entire vehicle lifecycle, including new and used vehicle sales, and vehicle servicing, repair and parts. Service and repair is a 40+% gross margin repeating business. With economic headwinds, the transition to electric vehicles, recent overs

LIBERUM: The Liberum Leisure Digest: NLW increase - pricing power is key

PROGRESSIVE: Zoo Digital: Recovery underway and a significant contract

Today’s trading statement from ZOO highlights a ramp-up in demand following the end to the industry-wide strikes of last year. ZOO struck a note of caution in its January update regarding the timing of orders. However new productions are starting to translate into a healthy order pipeline, with a good recovery in revenue anticipated in H1 FY25. The update guides to revenue of at least $40m for the year to March 2024, ahead of our estimate at $36.8m. We have improved our adjusted EBITDA loss marg

Marks & Spencer+ (MKS, House Stock at 255p) - 7Y FS HSBC UK tie-up– another brick in the wall

React Inititation of Coverage

React Group is a well-managed, growing UK services business with a high degree of recurring revenues (c87%).

Judges Scientific+ (JDG, House Stock at 11,600p) - FY23A - solid organic order book

ME Group - Modernising and growing the estate driving growth

During 2023, ME Group commenced the deployment of its next generation photobooths, which are integrated with the group’s newly developed proprietary software, gained market leadership in the Japanese photobooth market with an acquisition, continued to roll out laundry units with existing and new location partners, commenced a share buyback programme and gained entry into the FTSE 250. 2023 was a year of significant strategic and financial progress, with sales up 15%, EPS up 31% and net cash main

Hardman & Co Healthcare Index: 2023 – Capital demands dent performance

The Hardman & Co Healthcare Index (HHI) has been running since 2009. Its main function is to highlight the attractions of life sciences investments over the long term. For the second year running, apart from global economic influences affecting world markets, performance in 2023 was dented by the capital-intensive nature of the sector. The HHI fell 3.7%, to 483.8, underperforming the main London markets – FTSE 100 (+3.8%) and FTSE All-Share (3.8%) but outperforming the FTSE AIM All-Share Index (

B90 Holdings (B90 LN) - Successful transition, outlook unchanged

2023 revenue is expected to be in line with expectations. Adjusted EBITDA loss is expected to be higher than we expected.

Inchcape (INCH LN) - Strong ROCE and FCF generation

Inchcape’s FY23 results were in line with Zeus estimates for most items. Underlying PBT increased by 35% to £502m (Zeus: £500.8m) as the Derco business was successfully integrated into the Group.

SSP Group+ (SSPG, House Stock at 218p) - Further progress expected in H1

FY23 results preview

Morning Note – 22 February 2024

Tasty - Trading update and restructuring plan

Trading conditions remained difficult in 2023, impacted by intense cost-of-living pressures, transportation strikes, and significant inflationary pressure on labour, food and utilities. In response, Tasty implemented various efficiency measures which helped narrow FY23 EBITDA losses to -£0.9m (FY22A: -£2.7m loss). With the economic environment remaining challenging, however, Tasty intends to implement a restructuring plan (funded by a new £750k loan with potential for conversion), which will inv