Bureau Veritas was among the sharpest fallers on the SBF 120 index Monday morning on the Paris Stock Exchange, weighed down by a rating downgrade from RBC analysts.
At 9:10 a.m., the stock was down 3.3%, hitting a one-and-a-half-month low, while the SBF index itself slipped by around 0.6% at the same time.
In a note released early this morning, RBC announced it had downgraded its recommendation on the stock to "underperform" from "sector perform," with its price target lowered from EUR28.5 to EUR26.5.
While acknowledging that the inspection and certification specialist is a solid, diversified company with a competent and respected management team, analysts at the Canadian bank believe there are better opportunities elsewhere in the sector.
RBC also explained that it had reduced its earnings forecasts for 2026 in response to a slowing global trade environment, waning growth drivers, unfavorable currency effects, and the prospect of major acquisitions that could impact the group's profitability.
