Report
David O'Brien

A profitable start to the new year

The new financial year has started strongly with a strong pipeline of opportunities and a lower cost base following an expanded rationalisation programme that resulted in most regions delivering a profit YTD in FY23. The results for FY22 were broadly in line with revised expectations, although the lack of forward visibility results in a continued suspension of estimates. That said, we expect FY23 to prove to be a turning point in the Group’s fortunes as utilisation levels improve now that projects are serviced globally.

We are still suspending estimates reflecting a lack of visibility and ongoing uncertainty. While this makes the construction of forward-looking valuation models difficult, we highlight the NAV and within this the level of net cash at the FY22 year end. A historic FY22 price/book ratio amounts to 1.0x, on a book value of £16.4m, which equates to 29.8p/share. Furthermore, £4.9m or 9.1p/share of this is in cash, representing 30.7% of the Group’s NAV.

Comparing DRV to a wider consultancy peer group that trades on an average historic P/B ratio of 4.7x, suggests that DRV (on 1x NAV) remains significantly undervalued. We retain our fair value/share of 49p.
Underlying
Driver Group

Driver Group is engaged in providing consultancy services to the engineering and construction industries. Co. is organized into three operating divisions: Europe and Americas (EuAm), Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) and Initiate. In EuAm and AMEA the key service provisions are: quantity surveying, planning/programming, quantum and planning personnel, dispute avoidance/resolution, litigation support, contract administration and commercial advice/management. In Initiate the key service provisions are capital investment consultancy providing development, project and contracting management services to the infrastructure market in the U.K.

Provider
Equity Development
Equity Development

​Equity Development enables companies to become better understood and supported by investors. Since our launch in 1996 we have consistently focused on helping our clients improve their communication and relationships with both existing and potential shareholders. Our clients have come from a wide variety of sectors and domiciles, are both private and quoted and range in size from micro-cap to $multi-billions. We offer free access to company research notes written by experienced analysts. These notes include detailed forecasts, financial models and a fair value. We host regular Private Investor Forums at which investors have the opportunity to hear company directors present, and to ask questions. These are free to attend. We broadcast live Webinars with company management that include active Q&A. We also make the recordings available online. We arrange face to face meetings between private investors and company management. We are active users of Twitter, commenting daily on company news, share price moves, Directors’ Dealings, Equity Development Research Notes & Events.

Analysts
David O'Brien

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