Report
David O'Brien

Welcome news of progress

The pre-close trading update from Driver Group was encouraging, with static revenues (signifying rising productivity), improving profitability and margins, and the move into the black for the first time in two years within the Middle East region. Cash levels continued to improve, highlighting the collection of doubtful debts and higher profitability.

We expect the solid foundations put in place by the management team over the last 12-18 months will provide a strong base from which to grow meaningfully over the medium term.

Although our estimates remain suspended pending further visibility, we note the NAV (FY22 end: £16.4m or 30.3p / share) and net cash account for 35.1% of the market cap. DRV’s wider consultancy peer group, trades on an average prospective P/B ratio of 4.4x, suggesting that a re-rating of DRV shares looks overdue now that an inflection point has been passed.

Our fair value/share remains 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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