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mttssn research · Nordic Deep Dive
Novotek (NTEK-B.ST)
Industrials · Industrial-IT/automation software distribution · LTM Q1 2026
Analysis date: 2026-06-08
Price at analysis: SEK 79.79
Method: mttssn_streamlined_v1
Conviction: MEDIUM
HOLD
Conviction: MEDIUM
An asset-light value-added distributor/integrator of industrial-IT & automation software earning a ~37% adjusted ROIC and +SEK 31M economic profit — though the high return reflects a negligible capital base, not high margins (EBIT ~9-10%). Net cash, ~49% dividend. But order intake is −5% and Q1 operating margin halved to 6.6% on macro-driven project deferrals. Fair, not cheap. HOLD, medium conviction.
Adj. ROIC
37.3%
WACC 8% → spread +29.3pp
Economic Profit
+SEK 31M
+SEK 31M; high on a tiny capital base
FCF Yield
4.9%
~7% FCF yield; net cash
Price / Target
SEK 80 → SEK 65
-19% base; HOLD
Revenue (LTM)
SEK 513M
LTM; order intake −5% YoY
EBIT Margin
9.1%
6.6% Q1 op margin (halved); ~9-10% normalised
EV / IC
6.59×
Enterprise value / invested capital
Net Debt
n/a
Net cash ~SEK 139M
Thesis

Novotek is an asset-light VAR/integrator of industrial-IT and automation software (GE Vernova/Proficy, Kepware, ThingWorx) across the Nordics, UK, Benelux, DACH and France. The moat is deep, decades-long supplier relationships plus local domain expertise; the recent resolution of the GE/PTC supplier overhang into 'Velotic' is a strategically important de-risking. Capital allocation is exemplary — net cash, no leverage, self-funded bolt-ons, a steady ~49% dividend.

Returns are elite on paper (adjusted ROIC ~37%, EP +SEK 31M) but driven by a negligible capital base rather than high margins (EBIT only ~9-10%). The near-term is soft: order intake −5% YoY and Q1 2026 operating margin halved to 6.6% as customers defer/down-size projects amid macro uncertainty. After de-rating from SEK 81 to ~55, it trades at ~7% FCF yield — fair, not cheap, with thin margin of safety at trough profitability.

Valuation · reverse-DCF & scenarios

On adjusted NOPAT capitalised at WACC−g plus net cash, the reverse-DCF base is well above price, but PEBV ~0.94 signals roughly fair value once the trough margin is acknowledged; EV/IC ~4.2x reflects the asset-light model.

Base SEK 65 on an order/margin recovery toward normalised ~9-10% margins; bull SEK 82 if project activity rebounds; bear SEK 50 if the macro project deferral persists and margins stay near 6-7%.

Market-implied growth
+2.9%
NOPAT CAGR over 5y the EV already requires
No-growth value / share
SEK 73
91% of price; rest = priced-in growth
ROIC − WACC
+29.3 pp
ROIC 37.3% vs WACC 8.0% — positive = value creation
CAP (priced-in)
30.0 yrs
years of excess returns the price implies (fades to WACC)

The market pays today’s enterprise value for roughly 2.9% NOPAT growth over 5 years. The business earns 37% on capital against a 8% cost of capital (spread +29.3 pp); the no-growth value is SEK 73/share (91% of price), so the rest is priced-in growth.

Scenario24m targetImpl. gUpsideProb.Driver
BullSEK 82+4%+3%30%Project activity rebounds; margins normalise ~9-10%
BaseSEK 65-4%-19%45%Gradual order/margin recovery from trough
BearSEK 50-12%-37%25%Macro project deferral persists; margins near 6-7%
Prob-weightedSEK 66-17%100%Scenario-weighted expected value

Sensitivity — fair value / share at WACC × growth

WACC \ g0%3%5%8%10%15%
6.50%95105113125134160
7.25%829197107114135
8.00% (base)73808594100117
8.75%6672768389103
9.50%606669758092

Green = fair value above the current price of SEK 79.79. The reverse-DCF conclusion is dominated by WACC and growth — see the whole surface, not a single fair value.

Method & data. NOPAT SEK 40, invested capital and ROIC 37.3% are observed (adjustments.json); WACC 8.0% and terminal g 2.5% are assumptions. EV→equity uses net debt SEK -139. The model holds ROIC constant (no fade) over the explicit horizon; the CAP figure instead fades excess returns to WACC.

⤓ Download the full model (.xlsx) — formula-driven sheets; flex the blue input cells and the model cascades in Excel.

Key drivers

1. Asset-light high returns

Adjusted ROIC ~37%, EP +SEK 31M on a tiny capital base — capital-light cash generation.

2. Supplier relationships

Decades-long GE Vernova/PTC/Kepware partnerships + local expertise — the distribution moat.

3. Net cash + dividend

No leverage, self-funded bolt-ons, ~49% payout — downside support.

4. Velotic de-risking

Resolution of the GE/PTC supplier-software overhang removes a structural uncertainty.

Key risks
Conclusion

Novotek is an exemplary, net-cash, asset-light automation-software distributor with elite capital-light returns, trading fairly after a de-rating but on trough near-term profitability. HOLD, medium conviction; base SEK 65.

Accumulate on a clear order/margin recovery; the Velotic resolution and net-cash balance sheet underpin the downside.

Footnote evidence & sources

Every adjustment traces to the cited note/page in the source filing — click to open it there. Annual report / 10-K: 📄 open  ·  Latest interim: 📄 open

Adjustment / figureValueSourceWhy mttssn treats it this way
Revenue (total operating income, operating revenue) FY2025513Income statement / Note 2-3 📄 p.21Summa operating revenue on the consolidated income statement = net sales 502.873 + other operating revenue 9.971. Used as the revenue / operating-income base; LTM adds Q1 2026 122.5 and subtracts Q1 2025 122.2 = 513.144.
EBIT (operating profit) FY202553.073Income statement 📄 p.21Operating profit on the consolidated income statement, after depreciation/amortisation of 19.420. Clean GAAP EBIT with no company APM add-backs. LTM = 53.073 + 8.1 - 14.3 = 46.873.
EBIT Q1 2026 / Q1 2025 (LTM bridge)8.1Condensed income statement 📄 p.6Q1 2026 operating profit 8.1 (Q1 2025 14.3). Confirms the LTM subtraction/addition and the -5.1pp margin fade used in revenue_growth/ebit_margin_change.
Goodwill133Note 12 📄 p.21Consolidated balance-sheet goodwill 133.246 MSEK (Q1 2026: 135.4). Spread across nine country CGUs (Note 12), largest Novotek UK & Ireland 56.981. Annual impairment test 31 Dec 2025 found no impairment (pre-tax discount rate 12%, terminal growth 2%).
PPA amortisation (acquisition intangibles) FY20255.622Note 12 📄 p.32Customer-relationship amortisation 5.545 (10-year life) + other acquired intangibles 0.077 = 5.622 MSEK. Kept in opex (not added back). Internally developed software amortisation 1.090 treated as ordinary cost, not PPA.
One-off: acquisition transaction costs (add-back)1.5Note 27 📄 p.40acquisition cost 1.1 MSEK (Venlor / Novotek Automation) + 0.4 MSEK (Premier Tech / Novotek Solution), both booked in other externa kostnader. Genuine non-recurring deal costs -> added back to NOPAT.
One-off: bargain-purchase gain (removal)-0.2Note 27 📄 p.40Vinst vid acquisition till low pris (negative goodwill -172 kkr) on the Novotek Solution deal, booked as other operating income. Non-operating -> removed from NOPAT. (FY2024's +30.5 MSEK ROB-EX divestment gain is outside the LTM window and not adjusted.)
Lease liability (IFRS 16)23.849Note 6 📄 p.30Total lease liability 23.849 (current 10.326 + non-current 13.523). ROU is offices (70% by value) + company cars (74% by count); lease interest 0.851 already below EBIT. Excluded from IC (peripheral assets, asset-light model). The Q1 condensed BS does not split leases, so the FY figure is used.
Interest-bearing debt1.1Condensed BS / FY balance sheet 📄 p.7Skulder till kreditinstitut 1.1 MSEK at 2026-03-31 (FY2025-12-31: 1.109, current). No long-term bank debt and no other credit facilities. Net cash position 138.8 MSEK.
Cash and equivalents140Condensed BS 📄 p.7Likvida medel 139.9 MSEK at 2026-03-31 (FY2025-12-31: 116.6). Excess cash above 2% of revenue (10.263) = 129.637 stripped from IC.
Total equity (incl. NCI)244Condensed BS / equity statement p.8 📄 p.7Eget kapital 243.5 MSEK at 2026-03-31, of which NCI 5.4 (equity to parent 238.1). The 'Reserver' line 7.7 (FX translation + earnout remeasurement) is used as accumulated_oci; equity_ex_oci = 235.8.
Tax (effective rate basis)7.428Note 11 (FY) / condensed IS (Q) 📄 p.6LTM tax = FY 8.528 + Q1 2026 2.5 - Q1 2025 3.6 = 7.428 on LTM PBT 43.913 -> effective 16.9%, used as the NOPAT tax rate. FY effective rate 17.3% (nominal 20.6%) reflects a +2.1 MSEK prior-year adjustment and a foreign-rate mix (Note 11).
Analysis history

How the mttssn view has evolved — each prior dated note is preserved.

Quality · Buffett tenets10 / 15
Understandable business
Value-added distributor/integrator of industrial-IT & automation software (GE Vernova/Proficy, Kepware) across the Nordics/UK/Benelux — asset-light, fully legible.
Durable moat
Modest: decades-long supplier relationships + local domain expertise, but a distributor with limited pricing power and only ~9-10% EBIT margins.
Able & honest management
Exemplary balance-sheet discipline: net cash, no leverage, self-funded French bolt-ons, steady ~49% dividend; resolved the GE/PTC supplier overhang into 'Velotic'.
Financial strength
Adjusted ROIC ~37% and EP +SEK 31M — but driven by a negligible capital base (not high margins); net cash, fortress balance sheet.
Margin of safety
Fair after the de-rating (PEBV ~0.94) but on trough profitability — Q1 operating margin halved to 6.6% and order intake −5%.