Benchmark keeps Buy rating on Grupo Televisa stock, but lowers target amid tariff uncertainties

EditorAhmed Abdulazez Abdulkadir
Published 12/06/2024, 08:56 AM
TV
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On Friday, Benchmark analyst Matthew Harrigan adjusted the price target for Grupo Televisa SA (NYSE:TV), reducing it to $8.00 from the previous $11.00. Currently trading at $2.01 with a market cap of $1.05 billion, InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is undervalued. Despite the downward revision, the firm maintained a "Buy" rating on the stock. The change in the price target is attributed to the recent weakness of the Mexican peso and uncertainties surrounding tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Harrigan's statement highlighted the currency risks for U.S. investors, noting that 65% of third-quarter revenues for the joint venture TelevisaUnivision were generated in the U.S. market, which mitigates some of the exposure. Grupo Televisa is still considered a leading entity in Spanish language media, with a strong liquidity position reflected in its 2.43 current ratio. The success of its ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) service, Vix™, has quickly become profitable, though InvestingPro data shows analysts anticipate a 15% revenue decline this fiscal year.

The analyst also acknowledged the difficulty in predicting the impact of Trump's tariffs on the Mexican economy. This uncertainty is compounded by the recent political interactions between President Trump and Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum.

In addition to the macroeconomic factors, Grupo TelevisaUnivision has initiated further layoffs, which were hinted at during the company's late October earnings call. This move is seen as part of the company's ongoing efforts to streamline operations and improve financial performance.

In other recent news, Grupo Televisa has been making significant strides in its financial performance. The company's Q3 2024 results revealed a rise in revenue to $1.3 billion, attributable to a 4% increase in EBITDA and a 3% growth in advertising revenue.

However, subscription and licensing revenue saw a 12% decline, partially due to currency depreciation. The Cable segment's EBITDA margin improved to 39.4%, and operating cash flow from Cable grew 40% year-on-year. The successful integration of Sky resulted in an 8.5% reduction in operating expenses and a 45% drop in CapEx.

On the other hand, JPMorgan recently downgraded Grupo Televisa's stock rating from Overweight to Neutral due to changes in the company's short-term growth catalysts. The investment firm highlighted several factors, including the slow growth of new subscribers in the Mexican Broadband sector and the anticipated contraction of the Mexican Operating Segment margin in 2025. The performance of TelevisaUnivision and the lack of fresh information regarding Televisa's streaming services also contributed to the downgrade.

In terms of future developments, Grupo Televisa plans to further integrate benefits from the Sky acquisition and introduce new products to enhance revenue. The company is also committed to reducing net debt and maintaining a leverage ratio of around 2.5 times as it evolves into a platform-agnostic, data-driven organization.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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