Rank Group - Recovery potential and operational gearing

Rank Group has faced numerous external challenges since 2020: the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and tighter regulatory requirements, in particular the negative effects of required affordability restrictions, have been followed by the recent cost of living crisis and higher inflation. These external challenges have masked the group’s underlying transformation, which is extending and improving the product offer, while making the organisation more efficient to drive future growth and innovations. With revenues at key assets well below pre COVID-19 levels, Rank Group has the potential to demonstrate rapid revenue and profit growth on a normalisation of demand and costs pressures, before the potential for easing regulation is considered. Based on consensus EV/sales, Rank Group’s valuation is at a significant discount to its own historical multiples.