The weather is cooling, but the stream of fresh new company updates continues unabated. With the Brexit referendum a month ago, we’re getting a better feel for companies that could be affected. Here are three with results out today.
Recovering airline?
Shares in Flybe Group (LSE: FLYB) have been through turmoil, falling 71% since their highest point in 2014, to 38p today — and that includes a 9.5% drop today after the airline’s Q1 update.
Flybe has been fighting to turn itself around over the past few years, and managed to return to profit in the year to March 2016. Today’s headline results indicate further progress, with passenger numbers up 9.2% to 2.3m and passenger revenue up 5% to £155.8m, after capacity was increased by 15.5% to 3.2m seats. But one worry is Flybe’s falling load factor, which dropped to 70% from 74% at the same stage last year — rivals like easyJet typically report load factors in excess of 90%.
Then there’s the Brexit effect and fears over terrorism, which we’re told “could have a materially adverse impact” in the near term. And airlines are facing higher fuel costs in Sterling terms.
But are these concerns already built-into the share price as it’s on a forward P/E multiple of just six? Flybe looks like an oversold bargain now, but I wouldn’t buy when you can get easyJet shares on a P/E of under 9 and with 5% dividends thrown in for good measure.
Outsourcing success
Capita Group (LSE: CPI) has seen its shares slide by 22% over the past 12 months, to 968p, including a sharp dip in the wake of the EU referendum. It also includes a 2% drop after the diversified outsourcing and services group released positive first-half figures. With underlying revenue up 5% to £2.4bn, underlying pre-tax profit is up 8% to £285m and earnings per share up 7% to 34.2p. The interim dividend was lifted 6% to 11.1p per share.
The company reported a “steady flow of major contract wins and acquisitions,” though first-half wins of £879m were well down on the £1.6bn in the same period last year. Regarding the EU thing, chief executive Andy Parker spoke of “some delays in decision-making in the short term,” but said that the uncertainty is expected to be “more than offset in the medium-term” by opportunities from clients responding to the event.
On a P/E of around 13 and offering dividend yields of 3.5%, Capita shares look good for the long term.
Healthcare strength
Primary Health Properties (LSE: PHP), which bills itself as “the UK’s leading investor in modern primary healthcare facilities,” reported improved first-half figures across the board. Net rental income is up 5.2% to £32.2m, leading to a 9% rise in earnings per share, and net asset value is up 3.1% to 90.4p (all by EPRA accounting standards).
Despite this, the shares lost about half a percent to 110p, so why the lack of enthusiasm? There’s the “wider market uncertainty” caused by the referendum result for one thing, though the firm does reckon that sector fundamentals remain strong. And although there’s plenty of demand for services, “the supply of modern, flexible premises remains restricted“.
The shares offer dividend yields of around 4.7% — but though we were told they’re fully covered by earnings, they’re only just covered. Primary Health is probably a solid long-term investment, but on forward P/E multiples of around 20, there are surely better bargains out there right now.
