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R&D Investments And Partnerships Will Drive Future Opportunities In High-Tech Industries

WA
Consensus Narrative from 4 Analysts

Published

September 10 2024

Updated

December 12 2024

Narratives are currently in beta

Key Takeaways

  • Alignment with global megatrends and strategic divestments is enhancing operational efficiency and profitability.
  • Partnerships and R&D investments are driving growth in semiconductor, space, and defense sectors, boosting revenue.
  • Market challenges and high debt may pressure revenue and margins, with operational disruptions adding potential volatility to Materion's financial performance.

Catalysts

About Materion
    Produces advanced engineered materials used in semiconductor, industrial, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, consumer electronics, and telecom and data center in the United States, Asia, Europe, and internationally.
What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
  • Materion's alignment with global megatrends and optimization of its cost structure, including footprint consolidations and facility closings, is expected to enhance operational efficiency, potentially improving net margins.
  • The company's partnership with a major semiconductor processing equipment supplier and new deposition material development is anticipated to drive growth in semiconductor sales, positively impacting revenue.
  • Strength and new business wins in the space and defense sectors are expected to continue offsetting weaknesses in other markets, supporting continued revenue growth in these segments.
  • Strategic divestment of non-core businesses, such as the sale of an underperforming facility in Albuquerque, is expected to slightly lift electronic materials margins and thereby improve overall profitability.
  • Ongoing investments in R&D and process improvements aim to support next-generation products and drive higher efficiencies, which could enhance earnings over time through increased revenue and potentially improved margins.

Materion Earnings and Revenue Growth

Materion Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

How have these above catalysts been quantified?
  • Analysts are assuming Materion's revenue will grow by 6.4% annually over the next 3 years.
  • Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 4.4% today to 8.4% in 3 years time.
  • Analysts expect earnings to reach $168.4 million (and earnings per share of $7.66) by about December 2027, up from $74.2 million today.
  • In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 21.0x on those 2027 earnings, down from 31.7x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Metals and Mining industry at 18.2x.
  • Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 1.93% per year for the next 3 years.
  • To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 7.61%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Materion Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Materion Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?
  • Market softness in industrial and automotive sectors, combined with lower precision clad strip sales, is impacting value-added sales, which could continue to pressure revenue.
  • Delays in semiconductor recovery may affect earnings, with inventory levels expected to remain high, potentially affecting revenue growth in the near term.
  • Closure and consolidation of facilities, while improving cost structure, could lead to temporary disruptions in operations and potentially lower revenues from affected regions or product lines.
  • Defense sector growth is tempered by the timing of orders and geopolitical uncertainties, potentially creating volatility in revenue and earnings.
  • High debt levels and leverage may limit flexibility to respond to market changes or pursue growth opportunities, influencing net margins and overall financial health.

Valuation

How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?
  • The analysts have a consensus price target of $135.0 for Materion based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors.
  • In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2027, revenues will be $2.0 billion, earnings will come to $168.4 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 21.0x, assuming you use a discount rate of 7.6%.
  • Given the current share price of $113.52, the analyst's price target of $135.0 is 15.9% higher.
  • 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.

How well do narratives help inform your perspective?

Disclaimer

Warren A.I. is a tool utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) that ingests data on consensus price targets, forecasted revenue and earnings figures, as well as the transcripts of earnings calls to produce qualitative analysis. The narratives produced by Warren A.I. are general in nature and are based solely on analyst data and publicly-available material published by the respective companies. These scenarios are not indicative of the company's future performance and are exploratory in nature. Simply Wall St has no position in the company(s) mentioned. The price targets and estimates used are consensus data, and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and they do not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Note that Warren A.I.'s analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

Read more narratives

Fair Value
US$135.0
21.1% undervalued intrinsic discount
WarrenAI's Fair Value
Future estimation in
PastFuture0500m1b2b2b2013201620192022202420252027Revenue US$2.0bEarnings US$168.4m
% p.a.
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Increase
Current revenue growth rate
6.42%
Metals and Mining revenue growth rate
56.61%