Eutelsat Shares Continue to Fall at the Close of December 19 Following BNP Paribas Recommendation
Eutelsat Communications' stock closed on Friday, December 19 at 1.61 euros, down 4.96% from the previous day, marking a continued downward trend with a weekly drop of 22.97% and a three-month decline of 34.71%. The annual performance is down by 27.54%, reflecting ongoing investor skepticism despite the completion of a 1.5 billion euro capital increase.
Market Analysis and Recent Recommendations
BNP Paribas initiated coverage of the stock on December 18 with a market performance recommendation and a target price of 2 euros, representing a potential upside of 24.2% from the closing price on December 19. This follows Deutsche Bank's December 11 recommendation upgrade from 'sell' to 'hold' with a target maintained at 2.30 euros. These recommendations reflect a gradual improvement in analyst sentiment following the completion of the capital raising, which allows the group to reduce its debt ratio from 3.9 to approximately 2.5 by the end of 2026. The total capital increase of 1.5 billion euros concluded in early December with a final tranche of 670 million euros, achieving a subscription rate of 133%. This operation, while strengthening the financial structure, resulted in massive dilution with the issuance of 496,129,728 new shares at a unit price of 1.35 euros. The French state has become the largest shareholder with 29.65% of the capital, followed by Bharti Space Limited with 17.88%, the United Kingdom with 10.89%, CMA CGM with 7.46%, and FSP with 4.99%. The funds raised aim to finance the deployment of low orbit activities and the IRIS² constellation.
Technical Outlook and Stock Performance
Technically, Eutelsat is in a particularly degraded configuration. The Relative Strength Index stands at 22 points, indicating intense overselling that reflects persistent selling movement over several weeks. Although this could theoretically signal a short-term technical respite, it does not guarantee a lasting reversal in the absence of a solid fundamental catalyst. The stock is significantly below its reference moving averages, with the 50-day moving average at 2.94 euros, 82.6% above the current price, and the 200-day moving average at 3.35 euros, more than double the closing price. These massive gaps confirm a deeply entrenched structural bearish trend. The MACD shows a nearly neutral setup with a line at -0.32, a signal at -0.31, and a histogram at -0.01, suggesting a possible slowdown in the bearish momentum without indicating a bullish reversal. However, the Chaikin Money Flow remains strongly negative at -0.34, indicating clear capital outflows and a total lack of buying conviction. The OBV indicator stands at 332,603, reflecting modest trading volume in a context of continuous decline. The stock is currently testing a support threshold at 1.69 euros, which was breached during the session on December 19. A major resistance is formed at 3.28 euros, more than double the current price. With a one-month volatility of 33.58%, Eutelsat maintains a particularly high-risk profile, characteristic of a case subject to high operational uncertainty and a massive dilutive effect. The ATR of 0.06 euros confirms this significant daily amplitude, reflecting erratic movements in an unfavorable environment.
Market Sentiment and Future Outlook
The recent increase in positive recommendations has not been sufficient to reverse the downward trend of the stock. The market seems to anticipate that the high investment expenditures related to the deployment of the low orbit constellation and the IRIS² project will continue to weigh on short- and medium-term cash flow generation. Although the improvement in the financial structure is acknowledged by analysts, it is not yet sufficient to reassure investors about the group's ability to quickly generate value amid intense competition in the space sector. The Bollinger Bands confirm this degraded configuration, with an upper bound at 3 euros and a lower bound at 1.35 euros. The stock is now trading close to the lower limit of this channel, illustrating the weakness of the momentum. The negative beta coefficient of -0.06 indicates a total decoupling from the stock market, highlighting the uniqueness of the case and its exposure to sector-specific factors in space and telecoms. In this context, the coming weeks will be crucial to see if the stock can stabilize around the 1.60 euro level or if it continues its decline to new lows. Investors will particularly monitor upcoming operational announcements regarding the deployment of constellations and the first signs of revenue generation from massive investments. Without a tangible positive catalyst, the stock may remain under pressure despite historically low valuation levels.