Elliott aims to turn around Catalent

Article Excerpt

CATALENT INC. $45 is a hold. The company (New York symbol CTLT; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 180.3 million; Market cap: $8.1 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.catalent.com) is a contract drugmaker that makes products for larger pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk. Due to several quality-control problems at some of its plants and lower demand from COVID-19-related vaccines and treatments, the stock has dropped 55% in the past year. That decline has prompted activist investor Elliott Investment to acquire an undisclosed stake in Catalent. It will push the company to fix the problems at its plants and cut its high debt load—its long-term debt as of June 30, 2023, was $4.17 billion, or 51% of its market cap. While Elliot’s involvement is a plus, the stock will likely remain depressed until the company completes its restructuring. Catalent is a hold. hold…