On the Beach Group PLC (LON:OTB) was left a little sunburnt on Friday after delivering a Brexit-inspired profit warning.
In a trading update, the online holiday firm said that a fall in the value of sterling over the summer as fears of a no-deal Brexit intensified had forced it to raise prices, which had, in turn, made it “difficult” to gain market share while also maintaining its margins.
READ: On The Beach sees bright first half but shares fall as Brexit clouds outlook
As a result, the company said it now expected its full-year performance to be below management expectations.
The news sent a chill through investors, with the shares falling 16.9% to 371.7p in late morning trading.
However, Simon Cooper, OTB’s chief executive, said that despite the “difficult general economic climate”, the company was confident in the resilience and flexibility of its business model and that the company had invested “significantly” in its infrastructure, talent and technology to ensure a strong foundation.
The company added that it still expected its international platforms to deliver “significant” revenue growth in the second half of its current year alongside a reduced EBITDA loss.
Brokers unphased
In a note, the company’s ‘house’ broker Peel Hunt maintained their ‘buy’ rating and 550p target price despite the profit warning, saying they believed the firm would come out of the next 12 months “in better shape than some key competitors”.
The sentiment was echoed by analysts at Liberum, who said they were “strong supporters” of OTB’s strategy and that the “flexible business model” would allow it to continue to take market share and grow profitability in the years ahead.
Liberum also reiterated its own ‘buy’ rating and 560p target price on the stock.
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