UBS slashes projections for BT Group's 2017-19 equity free cash flows
UBS marked down shares of BT following the group's recent profit warning, telling clients it remained wary of various other possible sources of risk too.
BT Group
105.00p
16:40 26/04/24
Fixed Line Telecommunications
1,819.94
16:59 26/04/24
FTSE 100
8,139.83
17:09 26/04/24
FTSE 350
4,470.09
16:59 26/04/24
FTSE All-Share
4,423.59
17:14 26/04/24
As a result of the former, analyst Polo Tang trimmed his earnings per share estimates for the period covering between 2017 and 2019 by 5% on average.
However, in parallel he slashed his equity free cash flow estimates by 16%.
Combined, that drove a cut to its target price on the firm's shares from 400.0p to 325.0p.
"We see BT as a well-positioned company with a good management team. However, a number of overhangs are likely to persist over the coming quarters that will likely constrain the share price and could lead to further downside to EFCF," he explained.
Among those other potential sources of risk, the Swiss broker referenced the Champions League rights auction, the risk of higher capital expenditures at Openreach, more elevated pension costs and the possibility that it might lose wholesale revenues in the eventy of a tie-up between Vodafone and Liberty Global.
BT Group's target price was thus cut from 400.0p to 325.0p with a 'neutral' recommendation attached.