NuWays AG: Scandinavian Astor Group AB | Rating: BUY

Classification of NuWays AG to Scandinavian Astor Group AB

Company Name:	Scandinavian Astor Group AB
ISIN:	SE0019175274
Reason for the research:	Update
Recommendation:	BUY
from:	26.03.2025
Target price:	SEK 30.00
Target price on sight of:	12 months
Last rating change:
Analyst:	Henry Wendisch

Bullish new mid-term targets & capital increase for further M&A

Yesterday, Astor announced bullish new mid-term targets and resolved a SEK 150m capital increase to fund further acquisitions. In detail:

Bullish new mid-term targets: As previously flagged, we regarded the old mid-term targets (> SEK 400m sales and > 15% EBITDA margin by FY’26e) as conservative, given the strong recent performance. Now, Astor targets SEK 2.5bn in sales (incl. M&A) and more than 15% EBITDA margin, which is well above our current estimate (eNuW: SEK 586m sales in FY’28e with a 24% EBITDA margin) as we do not model any M&A. Nevertheless, this would imply sales to 10x and EBITDA to at least 20x over the next 4 years, highlighting the enormous growth planned.

Well filled M&A pipeline: Astor has several targets in an advanced stage of discussion whose combined turnover exceeds SEK 500m with an implied EBITDA margin of at least 12%. Given the last 6 acquisitions over the last 15 months (combined turnover of SEK 166m with a 17% EBITDA margin, see p. 2 for details), Astor seems to increase the M&A pace significantly. However, until first deals are signed and thus purchase price multiples become visible, we cannot assess the pipeline’s value accretion potential. Nevertheless, we expect Astor to not exceed 8-10x EV/EBITDA, given its recent M&A history (6.3x EV/
EBITDA).

Capital increase to fund acquisitions. In order to finance the potential acquisitions, Astor resolved a SEK 150m capital increase, exceeding the original target of SEK 125m, via an accelerated bookbuilding without subscription rights yesterday after market close (6.5m new shares placed at SEK 24 per share). Also, a share of the proceeds is intended to finance growth CAPEX in the form of production capacity. Consequently, Astor should now have a cash position of c. SEK 179m by Q1’25e (vs. SEK 50m at Y/E’24), giving the company a well-filled M&A war chest, in our view. (see p. 2 for details)

In sum, Astor’s engines (M&A and organic performance) are running at full speed. Further value-accretive M&A (as evidenced in the last 15 months) soon after the capital increase, should overcompensate the remaining shareholder’s dilution, in our view. Therefore, we reiterate our BUY recommendation with an unchanged PT of SEK 30.00, based on DCF.

You can download the research here: http://www.more-ir.de/d/32062.pdf
For additional information visit our website: https://www.nuways-ag.com/research-feed

Contact for questions:
NuWays AG - Equity Research
Web: www.nuways-ag.com
Email: research@nuways-ag.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag
Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany
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