Investment bank Citi has taken a deep dive to look at the long-term potential of Ocado PLC (LON:OCDO), the online grocer and fulfilment specialist.
It suggests the group has the potential to move into “adjacent non-food solutions” that could enhance the value of the business.
Indeed, Citi has used its in-house tool, VAL-BOT, to gaze into the crystal ball to assess what the future might look like if Ocado does decide to expand horizontally.
Its ‘bull/blue-sky’ assessment of how much the shares could be worth under certain future scenarios ranges from £43-£72, which compares with £24.57 currently.
The ‘bear case’ puts a £15 valuation on Ocado stock. Citi’s current price target is £29.
Barclays Capital in a recent note gave the counterbalancing argument, saying the current Ocado stock market rating was ‘excessively generous’.
However, it added that it was “hard to be scientific at this still-early stage” of the company’s development.
Barclays, which rates Ocado ‘underweight’, values the shares at £16 each.