Leading International Investment Research, Edison Investment Research

Edison Investment Research

Leading International Investment Research

Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise. At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisors and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting.

Equity Bottom-Up

Dentsu posted Q324 organic net revenue growth of 0.3%, making a decline of 1.1% over the nine-month period. This is slightly below expectations at the half-year and, as the market for larger, transformational projects is still stagnant, management has trimmed full year organic revenue growth guidance to 0% (was 1%) and that for adjusted operating profit by 7%. There are positive elements to these figures, in particular continuing progress in Japan and good new business boosted by the ‘one dentsu’ initiative. The unveiling of the mid-term management plan has been delayed to February 2025, with the FY24 figures. Post the reaction to the Q3 figures, the shares now trade at a 10% discount to peers on EV/EBITDA.

Dentsu posted Q324 organic net revenue growth of 0.3%, making a decline of 1.1% over the nine-month period. This is slightly below expectations at the half-year and, as the market for larger, transformational projects is still stagnant, management has trimmed full year organic revenue growth guidance to 0% (was 1%) and that for adjusted operating profit by 7%. There are positive elements to these figures, in particular continuing progress in Japan and good new business boosted by the ‘one dentsu’ initiative. The unveiling of the mid-term management plan has been delayed to February 2025, with the FY24 figures. Post the reaction to the Q3 figures, the shares now trade at a 10% discount to peers on EV/EBITDA.

Dentsu Group - Still fighting market headwinds

Dentsu’s H124 figures show sequential quarterly improvements, with the group posting organic growth of 0.2% in Q2. Encouragingly, this is in part ascribed to improved pitch win rates in all four reporting regions, underpinning growth projections through H224 and into FY25, despite the persistent difficult macroeconomic backdrop. The One dentsu initiative is driving collaborative efforts across group capabilities and geographies and we expect this to be at the heart of the new medium-term strategy, to be unveiled in H2. In the meantime, the Business transformation (BX) offering is proving effective in Japan and is now to be rolled out more widely. The shares continue to be valued well below peers and we would expect this discount to narrow with improving operational performance.

Dentsu’s H124 figures show sequential quarterly improvements, with the group posting organic growth of 0.2% in Q2. Encouragingly, this is in part ascribed to improved pitch win rates in all four reporting regions, underpinning growth projections through H224 and into FY25, despite the persistent difficult macroeconomic backdrop. The One dentsu initiative is driving collaborative efforts across group capabilities and geographies and we expect this to be at the heart of the new medium-term strategy, to be unveiled in H2. In the meantime, the Business transformation (BX) offering is proving effective in Japan and is now to be rolled out more widely. The shares continue to be valued well below peers and we would expect this discount to narrow with improving operational performance. 

Dentsu’s Q1 results indicate a slow start to the year, with organic net revenue down by 3.7%. However, prospects are improving, buoyed by new business wins and weighted to H2, which leave full year expectations (and our forecasts) unchanged. The One dentsu initiative, bringing together skill sets in consulting, technology, media and creative, is supporting improved pitch win rates, and giving greater coherence and consistency to the group product and service offering. We expect this to be a central element of the new management medium-term strategy, set to be unveiled during H2. The rating remains at a substantial discount to global peers, which we anticipate will narrow as evidence of renewed growth builds.

Dentsu’s Q1 results indicate a slow start to the year, with organic net revenue down by 3.7%. However, prospects are improving, buoyed by new business wins and weighted to H2, which leave full year expectations (and our forecasts) unchanged. The One dentsu initiative, bringing together skill sets in consulting, technology, media and creative, is supporting improved pitch win rates, and giving greater coherence and consistency to the group product and service offering. We expect this to be a central element of the new management medium-term strategy, set to be unveiled during H2. The rating remains at a substantial discount to global peers, which we anticipate will narrow as evidence of renewed growth builds.

Dentsu Group - FY24 prospects weighted to H2

Dentsu’s FY23 net revenue was a touch above guidance at Q3, with a better-than-expected operating margin reflecting a good Q4 in Japan, further boosted by a short delay in an IT project pushed out to Q124. The results were accompanied by the news of a change in global CFO, with the role reverting to Yushin Soga, who held the role until January 2023. As anticipated, net revenue outside Japan declined, although there was some trading improvement in the US in Q4. A thorough business review is now in progress, with the next mid-term plan due early in H2. In the meantime, the balance sheet is strong, with leverage reduced to 0.6x EBITDA, and share buybacks will be resumed. We regard the rating as undemanding.

Dentsu’s FY23 net revenue was a touch above guidance at Q3, with a better-than-expected operating margin reflecting a good Q4 in Japan, further boosted by a short delay in an IT project pushed out to Q124. The results were accompanied by the news of a change in global CFO, with the role reverting to Yushin Soga, who held the role until January 2023. As anticipated, net revenue outside Japan declined, although there was some trading improvement in the US in Q4. A thorough business review is now in progress, with the next mid-term plan due early in H2. In the meantime, the balance sheet is strong, with leverage reduced to 0.6x EBITDA, and share buybacks will be resumed. We regard the rating as undemanding.

Dentsu Group - Return to organic growth forecast for FY24

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Our outlook remains bullish on global equities (MSCI ACWI) with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 holding above their respective bases at $117 and 5650-5670.</li>
<li>As long as these base supports hold, we would use any election-related pullback as an opportunity to add exposure.</li>
<li>Following the election, we see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end.</li>
</ul>


Our outlook remains bullish on global equities (MSCI ACWI) with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 holding above their respective bases at $117 and 5650-5670.
As long as these base supports hold, we would use any election-related pullback as an opportunity to add exposure.
Following the election, we see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end.


Bullish Outlook Intact on MSCI ACWI & SPX; Buys in Services, Technology, Discretionary, Gold Miners

Japan

DENTSU INC. mainly provides comprehensive advertising services.  The Company also provides marketing and event planning & promotion services.  Dentsu has associated companies in the US, Europe, and Asia.

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Dentsu Inc (4324 JP)

Dentsu Group - Still fighting market headwinds

Dentsu posted Q324 organic net revenue growth of 0.3%, making a decline of 1.1% over the nine-month period. This is slightly below expectations at...

Edison Investment Research

Dentsu Group - Positive momentum

Dentsu’s H124 figures show sequential quarterly improvements, with the group posting organic growth of 0.2% in Q2. Encouragingly, this is in part...

Edison Investment Research

Dentsu Group - FY24 prospects weighted to H2

Dentsu’s Q1 results indicate a slow start to the year, with organic net revenue down by 3.7%. However, prospects are improving, buoyed by new...

Edison Investment Research

Dentsu Group - Return to organic growth forecast for FY24

Dentsu’s FY23 net revenue was a touch above guidance at Q3, with a better-than-expected operating margin reflecting a good Q4 in Japan, further...

Edison Investment Research

Bullish Outlook Intact on MSCI ACWI & SPX; Buys in Services, Technology, Discretionary, Gold Miners

Bullish Outlook Intact on MSCI $ACWI and $SPX as they hold above their respective bases at $117 and 5650-5670; Buys in Services, Technology,...

Vermilion Research

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