Report
Wim Lewi

Dynamic Top Pick List - Feeding some Beta to our selection

Today we update our Dynamic Top Pick List :
• We ADD : Sofina
• We REMOVE : None
• We KEEP Large Caps: AB Inbev, Ageas, Ahold Delhaize, ArgenX, ASML, bpost, D'Ieteren, Telenet, UCB and Umicore.
• We KEEP Mid Caps: Care Property Invest, EVS, Fugro, Intervest Offices and Warehouses, Kinepolis, Materialise,TINC and X-fab.

Performance: In the previous month our Dynamic Top Pick List was month-to-month nearly flat outperforming our benchmark indices (AEX, Bel20 & Stoxx50) on average an impressive 2.5% bringing our year-to-date outperformance to over 10%. This month’s best performers are Fugro (+20%), X-Fab (+10.5%) and Umicore (+10%, on LG Chem bid rumours). Worst performers month-to-month were Telenet (-10.6%), Argenx (-7.8%) and tech-stocks Materialise (-7.1%) and ASML (-6.4%).
Our view: US markets reacted extremely positive as Powell said the FED is not considering a 75 basis point interest rate hike. Nevertheless, they delivered the biggest interest-rate increase since 2000 and signalled it would keep hiking at that pace over the next couple of meetings to combat soaring inflation. In the coming months it will be Important to monitor how the Fed and ECB manage the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and lockdowns in China that add downside risks to global growth. Hence, we maintain our defence stance, but we add a bit of extra beta to the selection as the uncertainty about short term interest rates movements has disappeared and growth stocks have taken a serious beating.
Sofina Added: we add Sofina to our “Dynamic Top Pick List” as we believe that Sofina provides sufficient liquidity, diversification, and exposure to otherwise difficult to access high quality private equity plays. All of this combined with Sofina's diverse/experienced investment team, consistent investment process, low Russia/Ukraine exposure, and strong track record further strengthens our long-term view that Sofina’s underlying portfolio will post robust performance and will outperform global indices. However, over the short-term, we factor in a possible central bank induced recession, rising costs (inflation) and prolonged geopolitical tensions in Europe which, in our opinion, will lead to additional volatility and possibly even a further minor correction. While predicting a bottom is very difficult, we believe that Sofina's stock has sufficiently corrected (-33.4% vs 52 week high and -32.6% YTD) and now presents a favourable entry point from a long-term investing perspective. We also upgraded today our rating to 'BUY' and maintained our TP at €380.
Underlyings
AB Effectenbeteiligungen AG

AB Effectenbeteiligungen AG is an Austria-based company that invests in European companies. The Company is engaged in the investment in undervalued small-cap and micro-cap companies, in medium-sized companies with a growth potential, as well as in pre-initial public offering (IPO) companies. In the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2009, AB Effectenbeteiligungen AG's portfolio included Rhoen Kliniken AG, a Germany-based hospital operator, Realtime Technology AG, a Germany-based provider of visualization technologies and services for industrial applications in the automobile, aviation and consumer goods sectors and RIB Software AG, a Germany-based specialist in building construction, plant engineering and infrastructure management software.

Ageas SA/NV

Ageas is an insurance company engaged in providing a range of life and non-life products distributed through a variety of channels. Co. focuses on helping its customers to mitigate risks related to property, casualty, life and pensions. Co. serves its customers through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries, equity associates and partnerships, with financial institutions and distributors in Belgium, the U.K., Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, France, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand and Hong Kong. Co. is organized into five operating segments: Belgium, U.K., Continental Europe, Asia, and General Account.

ArGEN-X SE

Argenx N.V. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated antibody-based therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer. Utilizing its suite of differentiated technologies, Co. is focused on developing product candidates with the potential to be either first-in-class against novel targets or best-in-class against known, but complex, targets in order to treat diseases with a significant unmet medical need.

ASML Holding NV

ASML Holding provides lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, manufacturing machines that are used in the production of integrated circuits or chips. Co. develops, produces, markets, sells and services advanced semiconductor equipment systems exclusively consisting of lithography systems. Co. sells its products to micro-processor manufacturers and Foundries, NAND-Flash memory and DRAM memory chipmakers. Co.'s products line includes the following: PAS 5000 lithography systems, which Co. no longer manufactures but continues to refurbish; PAS 5500 products; TWINSCAN DUV systems and TWINSCAN EUV systems based on a new platform utilizing the concepts of the TWINSCAN platform.

Bpost SA

Bpost is engaged in the provision of national and international mail and parcels services comprising the collection, transport, sorting and distribution of addressed and non-addressed mail, printed documents, newspapers and parcels. In addition, through its subsidiaries and business units, Co. sells a range of other products and services, including postal, parcels, banking and financial products, express delivery services, document management and related activities. Co. operates through two business units: the Mail & Retail Solutions and the Parcels & International.

Care Property Invest SA

Care Property Invest NV. Care Property Invest NV, formerly Serviceflats Invest NV, is a Belgium-based real estate investment company that builds and finances housing for pensioners. The Company specializes in premises equipped with technologies ensuring safety and comfort of elderly people. In addition, Care Property Invest designs, builds, supervises the progress of a number of construction works, monitors the budget and finances projects in the long term. Care Property Invest NV cooperates mainly for public health care center in Antwerp -Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welziijn (OCMW), including Berchem. The Company focuses its activities on the Belgian market. It operates through a number of subsidiaries, such as Ter Bleuk NV, Siger SA and Konli BVBA and VSP Wolvertem bvba.

D'Ieteren SA

D'Ieteren is engaged in two sectors of services to the motorist: Automobile Distribution, which is a distributor of Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and Yamaha brands in Belgium; and Vehicle Glass, which is engaged in the repair and replacement of vehicle glass mainly in Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand through Belron s.a. and notably its CARGLASS®, AUTOGLASS® and SAFELITE® AUTO GLASS brands.

EVS Broadcast Equipment SA

EVS Broadcasting Equipment is engaged in the development and marketing of audiovisual equipment relating to the processing of pictures and sound. Co. provides solutions based on tapeless workflows with a consistent modular architecture. Co.'s activities are divided into the following regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and America.

Fugro NV Cert of Shs

Fugro collects and interprets data related to the earth's surface, soils, and rocks beneath. Co. provides advice to oil and gas, mining, and construction industries. Co. provides the people, equipment and technology that support the exploration, development, production and transportation of the world's natural resources. Co. also provides its clients with the technical data and information required to design, construct and maintain structures and infrastructure in a safe, reliable and efficient manner. Co. operates in three divisions: Geotechnical, Survey, and Geoscience.

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, Co. operates through the following segments: Imerys, which consists of the Imerys group that operates in four business lines of energy solutions and specialties, filtration and performance additives, ceramic materials, and high resistance minerals; and Financial Pillar, which includes, on the one hand, under investment activities, the companies Sienna Capital, Ergon Capital Partners (ECP), ECP II, ECP III, PAI Europe III, Sagard, Sagard II and Sagard III, Kartesia and Merieux Participations I and II and, on the other hand, under consolidated operating activities, the operating subsidiaries of ECP III.

Intervest Offices & Warehouses SA

Intervest Offices & Warehouses is a Belgian property investment fund. Co. specializes in investments in office buildings and semi-industrial properties situated on locations outside municipal centres. Co.'s business properties are located on the Antwerp-Brussels axis. Its activities can be divided into two business segments: Offices segment which includes the properties that are let to companies for professional purposes as office space; and Semi-industrial buildings segment which includes those premises with a logistical function, storage facilities and high-tech buildings. At Dec 31 2010, Co.'s portfolio consists of 69% in offices buildings and 31% in semi-industrial buildings.

Kinepolis Group NV

Kinepolis Group NV is a Belgium-based company, which is primarily engaged in the operation of cinemas. The Company's activities are divided into such business units, as Box office, In-theatre sales, Business-to-business (B2B), Film distribution and Real Estate. The Box office unit includes sale of the tickets. The In-theatre sales unit is involved in the sale of snacks and related articles. The B2B unit takes care of the organization of corporate events and the sale of screen advertizing to corporate customers. The Film distribution unit includes all activities related to movies showed in the cinema. The Real Estate is responsible for the property management and utilization. Additionally, the Company has a Technical department, which delivers technological support to Kinepolis facilities. The Company is present in Belgium, France, Spain and Poland.

Sofina SA

SOFINA is an investment company whose portfolio consists of shareholdings in various companies. Co. manages a portfolio of long-term and short-term investments. Its portfolio comprises investments in companies which are active in sectors such as: Energy and Services (GDF Suez, Suez Environnement, bioMerieux and Exmar); Retail (Colruyt, Delhaize); Consumer goods (Danone, Rapala, B & W Group, and Chapoutier); Satellite operators (SES); Finance Companies (Eurazeo, Caledonia, Luxempart, RAB Capital); Industry (Petit Forestier, Landis + Gyr, Carbone Lorraine and Deceuninck) and Alternative assets (Private equity, Hedge funds).

Telenet Group Holding NV

Telenet Group Holding is a holding company. Through its subsdiairies and its broadband network, Co. is engaged in the provision of cable television, including television services, broadband internet and telephony services to residential subscribers in Flanders and certain communes in Brussels as well as broadband internet, data and voice services in the business market throughout Belgium and parts of Luxembourg. In addition, Co. is engaged in the provision of mobile telephony services through a mobile virtual network operator partnership with Mobistar NV.

TINC Comm. VA

TINC Comm VA. Tinc Comm VA, also known as TINC, is a Belgium-based company focusing on investments in Infrastructure Asset Companies holding capitalintensive Infrastructure Assets providing services and generating cash flows of a long term sustainable nature. The Initial Investment Portfolio of the Company includes investments in over 10 Infrastructure Asset Companies holding underlying Infrastructure Assets in public private partnerships (PPP), energy and real assets in Belgium and the Netherlands, including Strorm and Brabo 1, among others. It operates through Storm Holding 4 NV.

UCB S.A.

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on severe diseases in two therapeutic areas, namely central nervous system disorders and immunology. In the area of central nervous system disorders, Co. is focused on advanced Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, restless legs syndrome and epilepsy. In the area of immunology disorders, Co. is focused on rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, post-menopausal osteoporosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and immunological diseases.

Umicore

Umicore is global player in the materials technology and recycling industries. Co. focuses on application areas such as chemistry, materials science, metallurgy and recycling. Co.'s business model comprises four segments: Catalysis, Performance Materials, Energy Materials and Recycling. Catalysis focuses on the abatement of global automotive emissions; Performance Materials focuses on materials that help develop more sophisticated and safer products; Energy Materials produces materials used in the production and storage of clean energy including rechargeable batteries and photovoltaics; and Recycling treats complex waste streams containing precious and other non-ferrous metals.

X Fab Silicon Foundries SE

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KBC Securities
KBC Securities

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Analysts
Wim Lewi

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