My Rolls-Royce share price prediction for the second half of 2024

The Rolls-Royce share price has had a great first half of 2024, rising by 55%. Muhammad Cheema takes a look at how it might move for the rest of the year.

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Image source: Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

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The Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR) share price had a terrific 2023, climbing by over 200%. This made it the standout performer among FTSE 100 companies.

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Now you might expect that after such a run, it would experience a more modest return this year. However, modest seems to be a word that is alien to its shares.

Fast-forward six months and they’ve already skyrocketed by 55%. This easily trounces the Footsie, which has gone up by a more ‘modest’ 7%.

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If we stretch back our time horizon to October 2022, Rolls-Royce shares were trading for the lowly price of 70p. At the time of writing on 5 July, it’s 461p, representing a 563% return.

Imagine being a shareholder of the company during that run! If I’d invested £10k back then, I’d have £56,300 today. But I’m not going to think too much about this missed opportunity. Rather, as a forward-looking investor, I want to predict where the share price will rest at the end of the year.

The bull case

Under its current CEO, Tufan Erginbilgiç, who took the helm in early 2023, Rolls-Royce has staged an impressive comeback.

If we look at full-year results for 2023, both the top and bottom lines grew at a strong pace. Revenue went up from £12.7bn to £15.4bn. Profit after tax also accelerated by 620% from £158m to £1.142bn.

Seeing a business improve its operating margins shows us that management is running it well. So, this increase from 5.1% to 10.3% is good to see.

Another point to note is that its net debt fell from £3.3bn to £2bn by the end of 2023.

The company is also guiding for strong growth over the medium term (based on 2027 timeframes). What excites me is how the operating margin is expected to improve further to 13%-15%. The civil aerospace division, the company’s largest revenue source, is expected to be operating with a margin of 15%-17%. This is also the fastest-growing division, so it’s nice to see it will also be the most profitable.

The bear case

The above looks nice and well, but it’s not so simple.

Firstly, Rolls-Royce shares are quite expensive. Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30 is over double the average of the Footsie.

Secondly, its greatest strength can also be considered its greatest vulnerability. Its civil aviation engine sales are heavily dependent on the wider economy, which is outside of the firm’s control. If finances for individuals become strained, then they may be less likely to take a holiday. Or if another pandemic occurs, travel will be restricted. These scenarios can hamper the demand for flying.

Thirdly, after such a run-up in its share price, those who have invested in the stock for a while may take some profit off the table. This could create downward pressure on its share price.

Verdict

Overall, I believe Rolls-Royce shares are already priced for perfection. I don’t think the share price will go up much higher by the end of the year and I can see it hovering around the 460p mark.

However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s still a great company. If I were to look at a longer time horizon than the next six months, I’d consider buying its shares because of the strong growth it’s exhibiting.

But what does the head of The Motley Fool’s investing team think?

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When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Compass Group Plc made the list?

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Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Muhammad Cheema has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Rolls-Royce Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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This seems ridiculous, but we almost never see shares looking this cheap. Yet this recent ‘Best Buy Now’ has a price/book ratio of 0.51. In plain English, this means that investors effectively get in on a business that holds £1 of assets for every 51p they invest!

Of course, this is the stock market where money is always at risk — these valuations can change and there are no guarantees. But some risks are a LOT more interesting than others, and at The Motley Fool we believe this company is amongst them.

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