Morgan Stanley: Shop for shares in M&S, not Next
By Jamie Nimmo May 24 2013, 11:55am
Morgan Stanley puts Next’s success down to superior management executionMorgan Stanley puts Next’s success down to superior management execution
Morgan Stanley has decided that high street clothing retailer Next (LON:NXT) has performed so well that it is now time to sell the shares.
The stock is at all-time highs and the broker is sceptical that it can continue the strong run.
It recommends switching to shares in Marks & Spencer (LON:MKS) instead.
“We see no near-term reason why investors should lose confidence in Next’s ability to out-execute peers, so it is possible the shares could rerate further,” said Geoff Ruddell, the broker’s retail analyst.
“However the multiples are already close to 10-year highs, both absolute and relative, so we think the risk reward looks unattractive at these levels.”
He puts Next’s success down to superior management execution and says that while the retailer was lucky to have an established mail order business in place when internet shopping took off, it has no significant advantage over its rivals.
Ruddell went on to question whether Next could be the next H&M – a clothing chain that has suffered despite being fronted by global icon David Beckham.
“Investors need only look at H&M’s recent history for proof that great execution is not a sustainable competitive advantage and that margin expansion can go too far,” the analyst warned.
Next shares fell 2.2% to £45.88 each.