Severfield - Constructing a robust future at a low rating

The strong interims confirmed Severfield’s robust performance in the current inflationary environment. The company is benefiting from solid demand across a range of sectors, which is reflected in the elevated UK order book (£464m versus the 2016–21 average of £266m). In India, the joint venture (JV) is growing rapidly and capacity is to be expanded to cater for additional demand. We believe the quality of the business and the anticipated growth is not reflected in the FY23e P/E rating of c 7.5x, which is comfortably below the long-term average of 10.4x.