CURLF stock is a buy, Roth says

Following an acquisition, MKM analyst Scott Fortune has maintained his “Buy” rating on Curaleaf Holdings (Curaleaf Holdings Stock Quote, Chart, News, Analysts, Financials OTCBB:CURLF).

On February 6, CURLF  announced the acquisition of Poland-based pharma wholesaler Can4Med.

“This acquisition represents a significant step forward for Curaleaf International. Poland’s medical cannabis market is expanding rapidly, and our partnership with Can4Med allows us to better serve patients while driving growth across Europe,” said Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin.

The analyst says this is an on-brand move for CURLF .

“This acquisition underscores CURA’s commitment internationally, and remains one of the key differentiators for the business when comparing to U.S. MSO peers,” he wrote. “We reiterate the European opportunity is material, with a population of ~750M, well over two times the size of the U.S., with CURA developing early leadership positions across several key markets. With an estimated ~$1.2B 2023 market vs the U.S. at around ~$30B per BDSA, Europe has a significant runway ahead, and Germany could be the catalyst that pushes other countries to adopt more liberal cannabis policies. CURA currently has three hectares of licensed production with the ability to expand to 20, and an EU-GMP processing facility in Portugal to complement its production footprint. Additionally, CURA has import and distribution capabilities into the U.K., Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal.”

In a research update to clients February 6, Fortune maintained his “Buy” rating and price target of $4.00 on CURLF .

The analyst thinks CURLF will post EBITDA of $296.3-million on revenue of $1.34-billion in fiscal 2023. He expects those numbers will improve to EBITDA of $330.4-million on a topline of $1.41-billion the following year.

“We believe management’s focus internationally will start to inflect with the beginning of German adult-use sales and subsequent expansion in Poland,” the analyst concluded. “Deepening international exposure remains one of the key differentiators for CURA in the future, and we expect the company to remain among the market leaders in Europe.”