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AI Capabilities Like Morpheus And Compass Will Leverage Digital Shift For Market Expansion

Published
21 Nov 24
Updated
06 Sep 25
AnalystConsensusTarget's Fair Value
US$18.93
47.5% undervalued intrinsic discount
06 Sep
US$9.93
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1Y
-67.7%
7D
-30.8%

Author's Valuation

US$18.9

47.5% undervalued intrinsic discount

AnalystConsensusTarget Fair Value

Last Update06 Sep 25
Fair value Decreased 19%

Endava’s price target has been cut from $23.49 to $18.93 due to delayed client IT spending amid macroeconomic and sector headwinds, compounded by near-term growth and margin pressures that outweigh long-term strategic positives.


Analyst Commentary


  • Elevated macroeconomic uncertainty and trade concerns are resulting in delayed client IT investments and a cautious demand environment.
  • Endava’s growth forecast for FY26 indicates flat or slightly negative year-over-year revenue, signaling a transitional period with near-term margin pressure expected to outweigh potential long-term strategic benefits.
  • The wider payments, processors, and IT services sectors have underperformed the S&P 500, due to overly optimistic expectations and ongoing challenges related to elections and consumer sentiment.
  • Despite current sluggish pipeline conversion and a cloudy near-term outlook, forecasts are considered de-risked, with potential estimate upward revisions if market conditions stabilize or improve.
  • Bullish analysts cite Endava’s investments in Gen AI and a growing partner ecosystem as positive longer-term catalysts, though these are not enough to offset cautious guidance for the immediate term.

What's in the News


  • Repurchased 4,746,585 shares for $71.5 million (8.02% of shares) from May 1 to August 29, completing the buyback of 6,722,491 shares (11.34%) for $111.2 million under the program announced in February.
  • Issued guidance for Q1 FY2026, projecting revenue of £181.0–£183.0 million, reflecting a constant currency year-over-year decrease of (6.0)% to (5.0)%.
  • Full year FY2026 revenue guidance given at £750.0–£765.0 million, indicating a constant currency revenue change of (1.5)% to 0.5% year-over-year.

Valuation Changes


Summary of Valuation Changes for Endava

  • The Consensus Analyst Price Target has significantly fallen from $23.49 to $18.93.
  • The Future P/E for Endava has significantly risen from 22.36x to 50.06x.
  • The Net Profit Margin for Endava has significantly fallen from 6.97% to 2.73%.

Key Takeaways

  • Focus on AI capabilities and long-term deals may drive revenue growth, expanding the addressable market and providing earnings stability.
  • Acquisitions and share buyback program aim to boost operational efficiencies and enhance shareholder value through synergies and increased EPS.
  • Economic uncertainty and project delays may lead to unpredictable revenue streams and affect Endava's overall profitability and operational efficiency.

Catalysts

About Endava
    Provides technology services in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and internationally.
What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
  • Endava's focus on AI-enabled capabilities, such as Morpheus and Compass, positions it to leverage the digital shift, potentially expanding its addressable market and driving future revenue growth through AI-driven services.
  • The company's strategy of securing larger and longer-term deals, particularly in core modernization projects, is expected to contribute to meaningful revenue growth and stability in earnings, despite longer sales cycles.
  • Endava's acquisition and integration of GalaxE is anticipated to enhance operational efficiencies and support margin improvement, as it realizes cost synergies and operational alignment.
  • The introduction of a $100 million share buyback program signals a strategic effort to enhance shareholder value, which may boost earnings per share by reducing the number of shares outstanding.
  • As Endava continues to develop AI applications across various sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, and automotive, it opens opportunities for new revenue streams and the potential for improved net margins through innovative, high-value solutions.

Endava Earnings and Revenue Growth

Endava Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

How have these above catalysts been quantified?
  • Analysts are assuming Endava's revenue will grow by 4.5% annually over the next 3 years.
  • Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 2.3% today to 7.0% in 3 years time.
  • Analysts expect earnings to reach £62.0 million (and earnings per share of £1.05) by about September 2028, up from £18.2 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 22.4x on those 2028 earnings, down from 34.9x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US IT industry at 32.4x.
  • Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 0.19% per year for the next 3 years.
  • To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 10.35%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Endava Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Endava Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?
  • The slower sales cycle and elongated ideation to production cycle for AI-led projects could lead to less predictable revenue streams and potentially impact revenue growth if projects take longer to materialize.
  • The macroeconomic challenges in key regions like the U.K. and Rest of World, as well as reduced spending from clients due to economic uncertainty, could negatively affect Endava's revenue and earnings.
  • Endava's high reliance on large-scale projects and the slower scaling of these projects may lead to volatility in revenue realization and impact net margins if clients delay commencements.
  • A decrease in revenue from specific verticals, such as payments and TMT due to client pullbacks, could lead to uneven revenue distribution across sectors and affect overall profitability.
  • Integration challenges and costs associated with new acquisitions, like GalaxE, may affect operational efficiency and net margins in the short term if synergies do not materialize as planned.

Valuation

How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?
  • The analysts have a consensus price target of $23.486 for Endava 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 $42.8, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $14.06.
  • In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be £889.6 million, earnings will come to £62.0 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 22.4x, assuming you use a discount rate of 10.4%.
  • Given the current share price of $14.38, the analyst price target of $23.49 is 38.8% 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

AnalystConsensusTarget 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 AnalystConsensusTarget 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. Simply Wall St may provide the securities issuer or related entities with website advertising services for a fee, on an arm's length basis. These relationships have no impact on the way we conduct our business, the content we host, or how our content is served to users. 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 AnalystConsensusTarget's analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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