Belden Well-Positioned To Benefit From Rising Content Consumption And Increasing Internet Traffic

There’s no question the world is becoming more connected by the day. Deutsche Bank analyst Sherri Scriber believes Belden Inc. BDC is well-positioned to capitalize on the secular connectivity trend. Deutsche Bank has initiated coverage on Belden with a Buy rating and an $85 price target.

According to Scriber, Belden’s business in broadband infrastructure and enterprise connectivity will make the company a key beneficiary in the expanding connectivity era.

“More buildings, factories and devices are being connected to IP networks each day, and BDC’s IP solutions across enterprise infrastructure and connectivity devices for factories and harsh environments are well positioned to capitalize on this trend,” Scriber explained.

Deutsche Bank expects consumer internet traffic to grow at a CAGR of 26 percent in the next five years. By 2020, the firm expects video will represent 80 percent of this traffic. The transition to higher-quality video, such as 4K, will also be an opportunity for Belden’s delivery, creation and payout solutions business.

Deutsche Bank’s $85 price target represents a 15x PE multiple on projected fiscal 2018 earnings, in line with the stock’s historical multiple. Scriber mentioned a possible slowdown in industrial capex as the key risk to the bullish Belden thesis.

Belden shares are up 60.7 percent in 2016.