Berenberg nudges up target price on Chesnara

(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg nudged up their target price on UK life and pension consolidator Chesnara from 328p to 333p on Friday following the group's first-half earnings a day earlier. Chesnara reported £37m H1 cash generation on Thursday, 26% up on H124, a 207% Solvency II ratio, up 203% at its FY24 year-end position, and raised its interim dividend by 3% to 7.7p per share, in line with its annual 3% 20-year DPS growth track record. In addition, Chesnara also updated its guidance for solvency and leverage proforma for the impact of the HSBC Life UK £260m acquisition and for the related financing.

Berenberg, which has a 'buy' rating on the stock, said its new proforma estimates were that Chesnara's leverage ratio would be 25%, down previous guidance of 29%, which excluded the £150m RT1, and that the group's solvency ratio would be 198%.

The German bank updated its forecasts to include the impact of the HSBC Life UK deal and the related financing, stating HSBC Life UK will add over £800m to Chesnara's total cash generation, of which £140m will come in the first five years.

"We estimate that this means that there will clearly be enough cash generation to fund Chesnara's 3% annual DPS growth that we estimate for the next 20 years," said the analysts.

Berenberg added that Chesnara offers an 8.4% FY26 calendar year yield growing at 3% per annum.

"We value Chesnara conservatively on a dividend discount model at 333p per share, and the HSBC UK Life £800m cumulative cash provides comfort that the 3% pa growth is sustainable." it said.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com