Elementis boosted by Berenberg upgrade

Elementis shares were given a boost on Wednesday after Berenberg raised its rating on the stock to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ and raised the target price to 270p from 200p.

The upgrade comes after the specialty chemicals company said in a trading update that it expects full year earnings to be in line with expectations after a third quarter 38% jump in personal care sales offset a 4% decline sales at both its chromium and oilfield drilling businesses.

“Since our downgrade to ‘hold’ in April, consensus 2016 and 2017 earnings estimates for Elementis have fallen by 20%, primarily on 700 basis point earnings before interest and tax margin compression in the chromium division," Berenberg said.

“Q3 results, with 38% growth in personal care and abovemarket growth in coatings additives, mark the turning point in this cycle of downgrades. Elementis will, in our view, generate the best organic growth of UK chemicals in 2017 (circa 5% versus circa1%).”

Berenberg also expects the chromium business to recover given that emerging market producers may run out of spare capacity in 2017 and an increase in oil prices is seeing a corresponding rise in the Russian Ruble and Kazakhstani Tenge against the dollar.

The broker also predicts reduced competition and a rise in chromite prices to boost EBIT margins by 180 basis points to 19.5% in 2017.

Berenberg estimates the personal care business will outperform the market with growth rates moving from 10% to “mid-to-high teens”.

Reflecting assumed improved sales growth in personal care, Berenberg raised its earnings per share estimates for fiscal years 2016 to 2018 by an average of 5%.

Shares edged up 1.70% go 239.80p at 1026 GMT.