Shares in Rolls-Royce dipped over three per cent in early trading today following a downgrade by analysts at investment bank Citi. The FTSE 100 giant's stock was downgraded from a 'Buy' to a 'Neutral' rating, despite an increase in the price target from 555p to 641p.
Currently sitting at 576p, the analysts stated that the expected upside was not sufficient to maintain a Buy rating. Despite a strong recovery since the pandemic, they noted that the stock is nearing what they consider to be its fair value, as reported by .
In 2024, Rolls-Royce was the second-best-performing stock on the FTSE 100, with shares in the engineering giant returning more than 90 per cent for the year. Over the past two years, the shares have soared by over 500 per cent and despite this morning's dip, they are still up more than 85 per cent over the past 12 months.
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The Derby-based giant has benefited from a recovery in the aviation sector and growing interest in nuclear power, while retail investor interest has driven its price upwards. Despite Citi's downgrade, most analysts still rate Rolls-Royce as a 'Buy', with 10 holding an overweight rating compared to just one sell, according to data from the Wall Street Journal.
However, some analysts agree with Citi that the firm's high price is approaching a fair value price.
"We believe that Rolls-Royce needs to further progress on its transformation programme before it can be valued on metrics comparable to General Electric," Deutsche Bank analysts stated in their most recent broker note on the company. Meanwhile, Panmure Liberum noted in November that while the stock had exceeded its price target of 400p, "that is not surprising as the treating process is not linear and, in this case,it is the three-year target which matters."
The broker's three-year price target for the stock stands at 665p.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, commented: "Stock market darling Rolls-Royce saw its engines splutter after Citi downgraded its rating on the stock to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Buy’ on valuation grounds. Even though Citi raised its price target for the stock, investors appear to have taken the rating downgrade as a signal to lock in some profit."
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"Rolls-Royce has been a runaway success for investors in recent years as its recovery story gained traction. The turnaround opportunity is now looking like old news and investors increasingly want to hear about the next phase of the company’s growth, not simply what it is doing to get back on track as that looks to have already happened."
This downgrade followed the news that an Airbus A330 engine caught fire shortly after takeoff from Atlanta en route to Brazil on the first day of the new year.
Upon departing from Atlanta airport and reaching an altitude of 4,725 feet, the crew aboard the Delta aircraft reported a fire in one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 Engines, attributed to a mechanical issue. The plane made an emergency return to the airport, resulting in a "heavy landing".
Passengers were evacuated as fire services responded to the scene. This incident is among a recent spate of aviation tragedies globally, including a devastating crash in South Korea that claimed the lives of nearly 200 individuals.