Skip Header
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.

Jefferies upgrades Admiral to 'hold'

(Sharecast News) - Jefferies upgraded Admiral on Thursday to 'hold' from 'underperform' and lifted the price target to 3,025p from 2,300p as it upped its earnings per share forecasts. It said Admiral "materially exceeded" expectations on both growth and margin at the first-half results, leading it to increase its EPS forecasts by 20%/28% for 2024/25.

"Whilst prior underwriting years continue to impact earnings, this has been more than offset by very strong current year underwriting performance, demonstrating Admiral's resilient business model," Jefferies said.

Jefferies said insurance revenue in the first half was 18% higher than it had forecast, driven by very strong turnover growth, while the core motor loss ratio (before reserve releases) also improved significantly to 75% from 87%.

"Given the competitiveness of the UK motor insurance market, Admiral's strong growth combined with strong margin improvement in H1, is particularly impressive in our view," it said.

It added that motor insurance market uncertainty was preventing it from turning more bullish.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

PepsiCo cuts revenue outlook again
(Sharecast News) - PepsiCo cut its annual organic revenue guidance again on Tuesday as it highlighted a "subdued" performance in North America in the third quarter.
Berenberg lowers target price on Impax Asset Management
(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg lowered their target price on Impax Asset Management from 620.0p to 560.0p on Tuesday but noted that outflows had started to slow.
GSK's Arexvy provides protection over three RSV seasons, trial shows
(Sharecast News) - GSK has announced positive results from a phase III trial of its Arexvy RSV vaccine, showing that just one dose of the treatment could help protect older adults at risk of RSV disease over three seasons.
S&U revenue up, profitability a challenge in first half
(Sharecast News) - Motor and property finance specialist S&U reported a mixed first-half financial performance on Tuesday, after group revenue increased 9% year-on-year to £60.4m.

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.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.