Digitalization And Skilled Trades Will Fuel Lasting Automotive Repair Demand

Key Takeaways

• Emphasis on advanced diagnostics, direct distribution, and product innovation strengthens high-margin revenue and operational resilience amid vehicle digitalization and economic fluctuations.
  
• Structural trends in vehicle maintenance and the growth of skilled trades support steady demand, expanding the customer base and enhancing long-term revenue prospects.
  
• Shifting industry trends, rising competition, and overdependence on mature markets threaten Snap-on's sales growth, profitability, and long-term market relevance.

Catalysts

Manufactures and markets tools, equipment, diagnostics, and repair information and systems solutions for professional users worldwide.

• Snap-on's focus on developing advanced diagnostic tools and software solutions, as seen with the successful launch of the TRITON wireless diagnostic platform, is leveraged by the increasing complexity and digitalization of vehicles. This positions the company to benefit from recurring high-margin revenue streams as shops and technicians require more specialized equipment, likely supporting revenue and operating margin growth.
  
• The growing number and average age of vehicles on the road continues to drive recurring demand for maintenance and repair tools, especially as households spend more on vehicle repairs and vehicles are kept longer. This structural trend underpins steady top-line growth and supports stable to improving gross margins.
  
• The direct franchise distribution model provides deep grassroots relationships with professional technicians, which is yielding resilience and pricing power even amidst turbulence and inflation. This model supports strong gross margins and net earnings stability as uncertainty in the macro environment abates.
  
• The resurgence in skilled trades and rising technician wages point to a secular increase in the number of professionals entering automotive repair, which will expand Snap-on's core customer base for premium tools and solutions, driving long-term revenue and earnings growth.
  
• Successful pivoting to innovative, quick-payback new product introductions-particularly in hand tools and diagnostics-has allowed Snap-on to maintain and grow sales even during uncertain economic conditions, suggesting underlying operational agility will translate into future revenue and margin expansion as sentiment and demand recover.

Snap-on Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Snap-on's revenue will decrease by 0.8% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 19.7% today to 20.7% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $1.1 billion (and earnings per share of $22.06) by about August 2028, up from $1.0 billion today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 19.9x on those 2028 earnings, up from 17.4x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Machinery industry at 23.8x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 0.99% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 8.1%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Snap-on Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• The ongoing shift to e-commerce and direct-to-consumer distribution could erode the effectiveness of Snap-on's traditional franchise and in-person truck sales model, risking the company's ability to acquire new customers and maintain revenue growth, which may ultimately pressure sales and market share.
  
• Accelerating EV and ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) adoption may structurally reduce demand for traditional mechanical tools and routine maintenance, putting downward pressure on Snap-on's total addressable market; if the company does not successfully deepen its penetration of emerging EV tools, this could constrain long-term revenues and earnings.
  
• Intensifying pricing pressure from global competitors, particularly low-cost Asian tool manufacturers, adds risk of gross margin compression, with further challenges presented by slow growth or turbulence in international markets such as Asia and Europe, potentially impacting both revenue growth and profitability.
  
• Consolidation among automotive service and collision repair shops (shift to chains, dealership-owned outlets, and multi-store operators) centralizes purchasing decisions, increasing buyer negotiating power and likely leading to tougher negotiations on price and lower margins for suppliers like Snap-on, reflected in the sustained weakness in the collision segment.
  
• High dependency on mature North American and European markets, coupled with slow or uncertain international expansion and turbulence in key geographies (e.g., Asia and Europe), exposes Snap-on to market saturation and macroeconomic headwinds, thereby dampening its potential for sustained long-term revenue growth and earnings expansion.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $337.875 for Snap-on based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $400.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $236.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $5.2 billion, earnings will come to $1.1 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 19.9x, assuming you use a discount rate of 8.1%.
• Given the current share price of $333.81, the analyst price target of $337.88 is 1.2% higher. The relatively low difference between the current share price and the analyst consensus price target indicates that they believe on average, the company is fairly priced.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.