Intertek (1K) | Hold (Not Rated) | An attractive offer

Research evidence excerpt

Intertek (1K) | Hold (Not Rated) | An attractive offer

Intertek Hold | Target Price: 6,000.0p

At the dawn of a new era

On 14 April, Intertek announced that it was launching a strategic review, which is expected to run

until mid-2027. It stated that the purpose of this review is to consider the potential separation of

the group’s activities into two entities. After years of diversification and geographic expansion, the

group is now taking a closer look at its existing model in order to identify a potential structure that

might allow it to grow faster and maximise value creation.

Having 15 business lines across around 100 countries creates complexity, which can slow

decision-making and make capital allocation less efficient, whether for acquisitions or capex

investments. Management has stressed that no decision has been taken yet: the review is being

carried out to test whether the assumptions mentioned above are really true. At this stage, all

options remain open: a sale, a demerger, and/or other structural routes are all being considered.

The stated objective is simply to maximise value for shareholders. Management has not

committed to any specific path yet, nor to any change in listing, but has confirmed that it is

evaluating the full range of possibilities.

Limited dis-synergies, according to management

Intertek already operates with a decentralised and coordinated model, with only a small central

office in London and most operational and functional resources already embedded in the

businesses. On that basis, Intertek expects limited dis-synergies, although management has

acknowledged that this still requires a detailed assessment. They have also said that the group

already has many legal entities, so a legal separation would be a process to work through rather