Carr's Group - Profits dip as expected with FY18 recovery underway

As flagged at the interim stage, group profits dipped during FY17 as a result of weak demand for feed blocks in the US and a major contract delay affecting the UK manufacturing activity. Demand for feed blocks in the US began to pick up in the second half and the major contract was finally signed in July, underpinning a recovery in FY18. Despite these short-term setbacks, management continued to invest for the medium-term, opening up the US nuclear market through the acquisition of NuVision and constructing a new feed-block plant to serve the eastern and southern US. We raise our estimates slightly to reflect a continuation of the favourable environment in UK agriculture and upgrade our indicative DCF valuation from 163p/share to 167p/share.