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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Numis downgrades DS Smith to 'hold'

(Sharecast News) - Numis downgraded its stance on packaging group DS Smith on Friday to 'hold' from 'buy' as it said there was insufficient upside to retain a buy rating. It noted the shares have rallied by around 30% year-to-date and now trade on FY25 EV/ EBITDA and price-to-earning multiples of 6.8x and 11.3x, respectively, which are close to the stock's medium-term averages.

"The competitive tension indicated by two competing bidders for DS Smith raises the prospect of a materially higher valuation of the stock in the near-term," Numis said.

"While we cannot rule out a competitive bid situation emerging, we think prospects may be limited by Mondi's historic lack of appetite for large scale M&A and modest valuations paid for previous acquisitions."

Numis said it expects the shares to trade closer to the value implied by International Paper's proposal and revised its price target up to 415p from 385p.

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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