On Tuesday, Citi maintained its Buy rating on Sandvik AB (SAND:SS) (OTC: SDVKY) shares, but reduced the price target from SEK263.00 to SEK244.00. The adjustment follows the observation of weaker-than-expected performance in the company's General Engineering sector in Europe, which experienced a larger-than-anticipated downturn. Moreover, Sandvik reported slower growth in powder and software sales.
The company's mining sector has not seen a change in the slow decision-making process compared to the first half of the year. Contrary to earlier expectations that delivery of equipment would increase as the year progressed, miners now seem to be delaying these deliveries. This change in the mining sector's outlook has been noted by Citi.
Despite the downturn in short-cycle SMM volumes, which saw a 17% decrease from the previous year, with particular weakness in engineering as opposed to intellectual property, Sandvik's pricing remained slightly positive in the third quarter. However, the carry-over into the fourth quarter appears to be minimal, which may place the fourth quarter SMM Street EBIT estimates at risk.
The commentary from the analyst highlighted the unexpected nature of the positive pricing in the face of the general weakness seen in the market, especially when considering the implications for the upcoming quarter's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). The detailed assessment reflects concerns over the European General Engineering sector's performance and its impact on Sandvik's short-term financial outlook.
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