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City shares IMI’s optimism

RESULTS: Progress on margins is impressive, and IMI is lining up further earnings-enhancing acquisitions this year
March 2, 2012

IMI is full of beans after these results. An increase in operating margins to 17.5 per cent and underlying profits up a fifth to £363.4m broke records, and management say there's more to come. They received a warm welcome in the City, too, with earnings upgrades on the cards.

IC TIP: Buy at 985p

Acquisitions bumped up the core fluid controls division, especially at the later-cycle severe service valves business where revenue rose 27 per cent, just 2 per cent of which was organic. Here, selling valves to the liquefied natural gas industry offset weakness in fossil power and nuclear, though problems moving a factory to a cheaper site in the Czech Republic hurt margins. Still, they should improve in the second half and there's a healthy order book, too. IMI's sweet spot - Fluid Power- did better, driven by high demand for valves from commercial vehicle makers. Expect further progress in 2012, given European markets look to have stabilised and the volume of work in North America and Asia is growing. Over at the drinks machine unit, profit grew 28 per cent, while focusing more on healthy smoothies and juices should benefit margins again in 2012.

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