Goldman Sachs - sell rating20 Jul 2022 13:37
Golman Sachs sees risks from slowing economic growth,
inflation, and declining consumer spending and e-commerce
building up for European technology firms into 2023
** While GS has not yet seen large-scale warnings in its
coverage, it sees risks around lengthening software sales
cycles, pausing discretionary projects, and slowdowns in more
cyclical end-markets
** "Some larger-cap companies in our industry coverage are
already preparing to manage and flex costs into H2 2022 to
protect margins, and in IT Services we have observed a slowing
of hiring," the broker says
** However, it says well-positioned companies can benefit
from digitalisation trends that should allow them to offset the
macro issues to some extent and increase market share
** Those with strong balance sheets should also be able to
benefit through strategic M&A, it adds
** Consumer spending and e-commerce slowdown poses the main
risk for payment and financial tech, though it's offset by
inflation tailwinds and structural factors such as the shift
away from cash, the broker says
** In IT services, groups with a higher digital mix and
offshore leverage should be more resilient, GS says
** It cuts French tech company OVHcloud OVH.PA and British
software group Micro Focus MCRO.L to "sell" from "neutral" and
Danish IT firm SimCorp SIM.CO to "neutral" from "buy"