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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.

Berenberg upgrades Hikma Pharmaceuticals to 'buy'

(Sharecast News) - Berenberg upgraded Hikma Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday and lifted the price target to 2,400p from 2,100p as it said "clear progress" had been made. It said that after almost two years with a 'hold' rating, it believes the time is now right to upgrade the stock to a 'buy'.

"We have more confidence in the growth outlook across the business (including the US Generics business) for the next year and we also have more certainty on the business's leadership, following a period of management change - this included the hiring of a new permanent CEO (an internal appointment who knows the business well), as well as a new head of Injectables and US Generics," the bank said.

Berenberg said Hikma continues to maintain a strong balance sheet, with leverage at 1.3x and $1.5bn of firepower available for further M&A (in addition to the recently announced Xellia Pharmaceuticals deal).

"We also think that the returns Hikma offers are excellent, with return on invested capital averaging 16% over the last three years.

"In this context, the valuation of 11.8x price-to-earnings does not look demanding, in our view."

At 0915 BST, the shares were up 1.8% at 2,010p.

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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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