Tax software stock Vertex is sitting on “underappreciated growth,” and now is a good time to buy this under-the-radar name, Morgan Stanley says. The firm resumed coverage of the tax software stock at an overweight rating and a $25 per share price target. Morgan Stanley’s forecast implies more than 20% upside from Friday’s $20.69 close. Vertex stock has added about 46% in 2023. VERX YTD mountain Vertex stock has added 46% from the start of the year. When Vertex debuted in the public markets about three years ago, the company kicked off a multi-year growth investment program to tap a $20 billion total addressable market for indirect tax management software, analyst Chris Quintero wrote in Monday note. This plan is now paying off, he added. “With the investment program essentially ending in 2Q23, we believe Vertex is now at an inflection point that will see revenue accelerate from low-to-mid teens to mid-to-high teens YoY and return FCF margin from 1% in FY22 to high-teens by FY25,” he said. The stock’s current valuation underprices the inflection point, Quintero said. The analyst added that Vertex can now meaningfully focus on expanding margins, given the fresh maneuverability post-investment cycle. “On the profitability side, the end of the investment cycle means more moderate expense growth as well as further operating leverage on a go forward basis,” he said. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
