Alten Finishes 2021 with an Indian-like Growth Rate

/ January 30, 2022

lten finished 2021 with an India-growth rate. For the third consecutive quarter, Alten has an organic (cc/cs) revenue growth close to 20%, reaching 23.2% in Q4. The company benefitted from favorable comps (-17.4% in Q4 2020) and HR decisions.

SII: Simply the Best this Quarter

/ November 10, 2021

II was simply the best this quarter. The France-headquartered ER&D services vendor had its revenues up 24.0% yoy (at cc/cs) in Q3 2021/Q2 FY22. SII matched Alten’s excellent performance (+24.0% at cc/cs) despite relatively demanding comps. Unlike peers, SII had limited exposure to automotive and aeronautics. In FY21, its revenues were only slightly down, by 1.5% at cc/cs. SII, therefore, managed to grow its Q2 FY22 revenues despite relatively demanding comps (-4.5%). Alten’s decline during the same quarter was 9.4% yoy.

Will Alten Be A Significant Clinical Trials CRO?

/ August 31, 2021

ER&D services largest pure-play, Alten, has ambitions as a clinical trials contract research organization (CRO). During Q2 2021, the company completed the acquisition of Cmed. Cmed, a clinical trial CRO based in the UK. It is a small firm with EUR 20m in revenues and 180 consultants. It has specialized in oncology, immuno-oncology, cell therapy, and rare disease.

Alten: A Big Rebound in Q2

/ August 18, 2021

Alten impressed investors with its Q2 rebound: revenues had a big rebound (+19.7% yoy at cc/cs) to EUR 714m. We had anticipated this solid rebound: the comps were very favorable (Q2 2020 was down 18.4% yoy organically).

Modis Comes Into the Light with Akka

/ August 15, 2021

Modis came into the light two weeks ago when Adecco announced the acquisition of Akka. Modis is a decently large IT services firm with 2020 revenues of EUR 2,179m. It is little-profitable with an adjusted EBITA margin of 5.7% (2019: 6.3%). Like everyone, the company faced headwinds in 2020, with revenues down 9% in 2020 (2019: -3%).

Capgemini Betting on Altran To Reach its New 2025 Financial Objectives

/ April 5, 2021

Capgemini unveiled its new financial objectives for the 2020-2025 period, of which Altran will play a significant part. The company now targets a 7 to 9% annual revenue growth at cc and an adjusted EBIT margin of 14% by 2025. Capgemini will reach revenues in the range of EUR 22.2-24.4bn by 2025 (from an estimated pro-forma EUR 16.3bn in 2020) and EUR 3.1-3.4bn in adjusted EBIT (from EUR 1.5bn in 2020).

Nuclear Engineering Remains Promising for Assystem

/ March 17, 2021

Nuclear engineering remains promising for Assystem. Revenues of nuclear engineering proved slightly more resilient during 2020 (with a 4.2% revenue decline at cc/cs) than the company itself (-5.3%). In H1 2020, the activity was impacted by the lockdown in Europe, as nuclear engineering requires a higher level of onsite work than ER&D services. Revenues bounced back in H2, reaching a slight organic growth.

UPDATED: Atos Approaches DXC in a USD 10bn Transaction

/ January 7, 2021

Following a Reuters news release, European IT services vendor Atos confirmed it had submitted to the Board of DXC an unsolicited non-binding offer to acquire the firm. The offer is at a preliminary stage. Reuters estimated Atos’ offer to USD 10bn.

Alten Makes its Largest Acquisition Ever, in Digital

/ November 15, 2020

Alten is to make its largest acquisition, with Milan-headquartered SDG Group. SDG has revenues of EUR 76m and a headcount of 950. Its operating margin is ~10%. We estimate the price paid by Alten to ~EUR 60m.

SII Performed Very Well This Quarter. Really?

/ November 13, 2020

At first glance, SII performed very well during calendar Q3 2020 (corresponding to its Q2 FY21). Revenues were down by only 4.5% yoy at cc/cs. By comparison, Alten’s revenues were down by 19%! SII continued to overperform its French and European peers by a very significant margin.

Europe Has Entered its Second Lockdown. A Look at Financial Implications

/ November 1, 2020

Europe has now entered its second lockdown. The lockdowns have different restrictions levels and different lengths. The UK and France are running for the full month of November. Officials in the two countries have, however, warned the lockdown might last longer, until Christmas at least.

Akka Raises EUR 200m. Share Up 40%

/ October 7, 2020

Akka’s share was up by almost 40% on Tuesday (October 6). The company reassured investors by raising EUR 200 at favorable terms for existing shareholders

Alten Accelerates its M&A Activity

/ September 30, 2020

Alten will accelerate its M&A activity in 2020. This is one of the tactical changes that the company announced during its H1 2020 results presentation. The company is also shifting its commercial effort to financial services, energy, and life science, and slightly accelerating its offshore deployment.