Report
Guy Sips ...
  • Jacob Mekhael
  • Kristof Samoy
  • Lynn Hautekeete
  • Michiel Declercq
  • Sharad Kumar S.P
  • Thibault Leneeuw
  • Thomas Couvreur
  • Thomas Vranken
  • Wim Hoste
  • Wim Lewi

Dynamic Top Pick List – Update October 2023 Adding EVS

We anticipated a weak stock market over 2H23 as corporate profit growth in Europe slows and the US consumer is running out of cheap financing and stimulus. The central banks have let inflation slip away after years of "irrational" quantitative experiments to stoke inflation and are now overcompensating. The market was too optimistic that the interest rate peak would be followed by swift rate cuts as the economy effectively slows down. Now the message has become "high for longer".
We started the year with a relatively defensive selection with a focus on value stocks that have been left behind. Defensive segments like Holdings and Real-Estate are overweight. However, in the Benelux we have a selection of cyclical industrials at cheap valuations that have often underperformed the market. We favour Benelux value stocks as even a mild recession typically hits growth stocks proportionally harder. We notice that some stocks have been hit hard by minor set-backs over the 1H23 results. These could be more relatively more resilient in a down market.
In this respect, we are today adding EVS to our Dynamic Top Pick List, as the company surprised the market by showing that in 1H23 their two main market pillars (Live Service Providers (LSP) and Live Audience Business(LAB) both had strong y/y revenue growth. The growth of its 2 main market pillars largely outperforms the absence of Big Event Rental revenues in 1H23. Recall that mid August, we already upped our Target Price from €30 to €33, in line with our updated DCF. EVS proves that its PlayForward strategy is producing the expected sustainable and profitable growth. Based on this strong 1H23 revenue result, EVS will reach a new record level for FY23 sales. A next trigger should be EVS' CMD on Friday 24 November 2023 where we hope to get more info on their new VIA Media Asset Platform (MAP). VIA MAP enables a cohesive and open ecosystem by bringing the world of content creation in a live production environment together with the world of distribution and review.
Underlyings
Ackermans & van Haaren NV

Ackermans & Van Haaren is an investment company. Co. operates in five sectors: Marine Engineering & Infrastructure, which includes DEME NV, a dredging and marine company; Private Banking, which includes BDM NV - Continentale Verzekeringen NV (ASCO NV), which focuses on marine and industrial insurance via brokers; Real Estate, Leisure & Senior Care, which includes Extensa Group NV, a real estate developer; Energy & Resources, which includes Telemond Group, a supplier to the crane and automotive industry; and Development Capital, which is engaged in ICT and engineering, retail and distribution, real estate development, and media and printing.

Adyen NV

Adyen NV, formerly Adyen BV, is provider of mobile, online and point-of-sale (POS) payment solutions based in the Netherlands. It operates an online platform enabling merchants to accept payments internationally and from all sales channels, such as online shops, mobile payments from applications and Websites, and POS, such as countertops, mobile terminals, tablets and cash registers, among others. The platform covers the entire payment chain, including technical, contractual, reconciliation and settlement processes. The platform is available in the form of ready-to-use payment pages (HPP), application programming interface (API), and client-side encryption solution (EE). The Company's customers include Mango, KLM, Netflix, Superdry, Uber, Groupon and Crocs, among others. It has offices in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, China, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United States.

Aedifica SA

Aedifica is a property company, which is specialized in residential real estate. Co.'s portfolio has a superstructure of more than 225,911 sq. m as of June 30 2010. It owns: residential or mixed buildings in Belgian cities with classical leases; buildings with furnished apartments buildings in the heart of Brussels with shorter term leases; senior houses and serviceflats with very long term and triple net leases; and hotels. Co. invests: in existing and already leased buildings; and in projects with future completion. Co.'s activities can be divided into four segments: Residential or mixed buildings; Furnished apartments buildings; Senior houses; and Hotels and others.

AZELIS GROUP NV

Barco NV

Bekaert SA

Bekaert is a global technological and market company engaged in advanced solutions based in steel wire transformation and coatings as well as an independent manufacturer of drawn steel wire products. In addition, Co. teams up with customers and suppliers globally to develop, implement, upgrade, and protect both current and future technologies. Co.'s business activities are put in practice along two main axes: Product Innovation and Process Innovation. Product Innovation helps Co. better serve its customers, while Process innovation enables Co. to increase operational effectiveness, minimizing its impact on the environment.

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.

ING Groep NV

ING Groep is a global financial institution based in the Netherlands. Co. is engaged in offering a wide range of retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. In addition to the basic banking services of lending, payments and cash management and treasury, Co. provides tailored banking solutions in areas including corporate finance, commercial finance (factoring), equity markets and debt capital markets to help clients achieve their business goals. Co.'s operations are organized along five segments: Retail Netherlands; RetailBelgium: Retail Germany: Retail Other; and Wholesale Banking.

Ion Beam Applications SA

IBA- Ion Beam Applications develops and markets technologies and pharmaceutical products for the healthcare sector, with a focus on cancer diagnosis and therapy. Co. is also engaged in the sterilization and ionization market. Co. operates in two primary business segments: Equipment and Pharmaceuticals. Co.'s Equipment segment encompasses development, fabrication, and services associated with medical and industrial particle accelerators, proton therapy systems, and a range of dosimetry products, while Co.'s Pharmaceuticals segment encompasses the production and distribution of radiopharmaceutical agents as well as its bioassay operations.

Materialise ADS

Ontex Group N.V.

Ontex Group NV is a Belgium-based company, which operates in the manufacturing sector of industry. The Company is a producer of disposable personal hygiene solutions for babies, women and adults. It offers a range of such products as baby diapers, baby pants, baby wet wipes, pads, pantyliners, tampons, light incontinence products, pull-ups, belt diapers, all-in-one tape systems, shaped pads and underpards. Its products are distributed through retail partner brands, as well as under its own brands (canbebe, canped, Helen Harper, Moltex, Baby Charm) across several distribution channels, such as retail trade, care institutions and pharmacies. The Company is present in Europe, Northern Africa, Australia and Asia.

Solvay SA

Solvay is engaged in chemical and plastic businesses worldwide. Co. offers chemical products such as advanced materials, barium strontium, calcium chloride, caustic soda, chlorinated products, fluor, peroxygen products, polyglycerols, precipitated calcium carbonate, soda ash, and sodium bicarbonate. It also provides specialty polymers, such as Spire ultra polymers, Solviva biomaterials, and sulfone polymers. Co. structures its activities around five operating segments: Advanced Formulations, Advanced Materials, Performance Chemicals, Functional Polymers and Corporate & Business Services, each with its own specific business model and each comprised of Global Business Units (GBUs).

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.

TKH Group N.V. Cert

TKH Group creates and supplies Telecom, Building and Industrial Solutions. Telecom Solutions develops, produces and supplies systems ranging from outdoor infrastructure for telecom and CATV networks through to indoor home networking applications. Building Solutions develops, produces and supplies solutions in the field of electro-technology ranging from applications within buildings through to technical systems that - combined with software - provide solutions for the care and security sectors. Industrial Solutions develops, produces and supplies solutions ranging from specialty cable, "plug and play" cable systems through to integrated systems for the production of car and truck tires.

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.

VGP NV

VGP NV is a Belgium-based real estate development company that constructs and develops industrial real estate and ancillary offices, which are rented out to clients on long term lease contracts. The Company operates in three business segments: the Development activities segment is focused on the identification and acquisition of the land and development of the infrastructure, the design of buildings, the coordination of architectural and engineering aspects, the administration to obtain the necessary permits, the tendering and coordination of the construction works, including site management, and the facility management of the real estate portfolio; the Property Management and Leasing services segment is responsible for managing the operation of the buildings, and the Facilities Management services segment is responsible for managing the operation of the buildings and performs all actions, such as maintenance services, waste management services and maintenance greenery, among others.

Xior Student Housing N.V.

Xior Student Housing NV is a Belgium-based company active in the field of residential Real Estate. The Company's offer is mainly for students and it includes several types of rooms for rent, including a student house in Leiden.

Provider
KBC Securities
KBC Securities

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Analysts
Guy Sips

Jacob Mekhael

Kristof Samoy

Lynn Hautekeete

Michiel Declercq

Sharad Kumar S.P

Thibault Leneeuw

Thomas Couvreur

Thomas Vranken

Wim Hoste

Wim Lewi

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