Making hay when the sun shines

Cenkos Securities’ H117 result was strong with a pre-tax profit increase of over 150% bolstered by the Eddie Stobart IPO, which provided further evidence of the company’s ability to complete larger transactions as well as a flow of smaller deals. The second half has started well and, subject to market conditions, the pipeline is reported to be healthy. Our FY17 earnings estimate has been increased by nearly 11%. Revenue and profit are subject to market fluctuations but the business model of contained fixed costs and high variable compensation mitigates the impact of this. The valuation both in terms of P/E and yield appears cautious.