Orthofix upgraded to Buy at Stifel amid above end-market growth

Stifel analyst Mathew Blackman upgraded Orthofix (OFIX) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $24, up from $18. The firm has been “looking for an opportunity to “re-enter” the story”, and believes that time is now, with a familiar thesis predicated on strong management, above-end market growth, and most-critical, under-appreciated earnings power/cash flow generation, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Value creation for the stock will play out over several years, but if Orthofix executes on just-provided financial goalposts, the firm sees shares as “undervalued”, Stifel added.