Severn Trent is one of England and Wales’s largest water and sewerage services suppliers. If you’re a shareholder or considering investing in Severn Trent, you likely want to understand what impacts its share price. 

This article explores Severn Trent’s history, financial performance, and market valuation. We’ll analyze the drivers behind Severn Trent’s stock price movements and compare the company to competitors to guide investment decisions. 

Why Is It Called Severn Trent?

Severn Trent originated in privatizing England and Wales’s regional water authorities in 1989. The Severn Trent and North West Water Authority were two original privatized entities. In 1996, these companies merged to form Severn Trent Plc.

Alt Image Text: A flowing river in a pastoral landscape

The name Severn Trent refers to the two major river basins where the company operates. The River Severn basin covers central England and mid-Wales. The River Trent basin lies across the Midlands region. These watersheds provide raw water resources and wastewater outlets for Severn Trent’s pipes, plants, pumps, and other infrastructure assets. The name also ties the firm’s identity and purpose to managing these vital river networks for its customers and communities.

Who Owns Severn Trent Shares?

Severn Trent has a broad shareholder base of institutional investors and asset managers from across the globe. However, a few major investors dominate large chunks of Severn Trent’s stock.

Most prominently, the Qatar Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund holds an 11.65% ownership stake, making it Severn Trent’s largest shareholder. The fund likely sought out Severn Trent as a stable long-term investment that pays steady dividends. Qatar also makes a point of buying major stakes in iconic British companies.

Beyond Qatar, several leading US and European institutional investors each control between 1-5% stakes in Severn Trent. For example, fund manager Lazard Asset Management Pacific owns 4.96%, giving it the second-highest Severn Trent stake. Other top five shareholders include index fund giant Vanguard (3.21%), Swiss asset manager Pictet (3.13%), and Scandinavia’s Norges Bank Investment Management (2.89%), which manages assets on behalf of Norway’s pension system.

Notably, two environmentally-focused money managers have also recently built top 10 positions. Impax Asset Management, which is dedicated to investing in companies advancing sustainability, now holds 1.5% of Severn Trent. Meanwhile, ClearBridge Investments likely sees Severn Trent as well-aligned to its mandate for responsible and impactful investing strategies.

Institutional shareholders account for over 50% of Severn Trent’s stock. So, while the company has a fiduciary duty to create long-term value for all investors, it must carefully balance the short-term priorities of active shareholders against the stability expected by largely passive index and pension fund investors. Suppose Qatar and top asset managers maintain confidence in Severn Trent’s management and future direction. In that case, the Severn Trent share price should continue reflecting the company’s steady intrinsic value creation over time.

Learn more about the assets you can trade in this article: What are financial instruments?

Is Severn Trent a Buy or Sell?

The Severn Trent share price has gone on whipsaws, driven by economic volatility in the UK and changing investor sentiment. After reaching an all-time high above 2,900 pence in August 2022, the stock tumbled over 25% through September 2023. However, the Severn Trent share price rebounded partially, seeming to find support around 2,600 pence, where it stabilized over the past two months.

The Severn Trent share price movements throughout 2023 have strongly correlated with broader economic uncertainty and market downturns across the UK. As high inflation sparked recession fears, investors fled defensive utility stocks like Severn Trent, viewing them as overvalued. Rising recession risks and the turmoil of Prime Minister Liz Truss’ short tenure sent the Severn Trent share price to a low valuation by September.

However, as political stability returned over the past quarter, The Severn Trent share price recovered about 15% from September’s depths. Some investors likely saw its dividends and pricing power as attractive hedges against prolonged inflation and market volatility into 2023-2024.

With the Severn Trent share price now trading 13% below 2022 highs but no longer deeply discounted compared to historical levels, is the stock a buy, sell, or hold?

Current levels around 2,600 pence for long-term investors seem to offer an attractive entry point. Severn Trent still provides secure dividends with above-average yield backed by stable utility earnings. And if inflation persists, challenging UK households, demand for water and sewage services should remain largely unaffected compared to discretionary sectors.

Bullishly looking out five years, Severn Trent has the potential to deliver high single-digit annual earnings growth. Drivers include investments to close England’s water supply deficit alongside revenue initiatives in renewable energy, flood control, and land development. 8-10% annual earnings growth could support similar share price gains over time if achieved.

Learn to trade on this article: How to buy, sell and trade stocks

Severn Trent Share Price vs. Peers and UK Stock Markets

While analyzing the company’s valuation history offers useful context, investors should also compare the Severn Trent share price performance versus industry peers and relevant UK stock market benchmarks.

Among water utilities, Severn Trent’s closest competitor, United Utilities, has seen its stock follow a similar trajectory over the past year – climbing to all-time highs in mid-2022 before plunging into September. However, United Utilities has slightly outpaced Severn Trent in the recent recovery. Year-to-date, United Utilities stock sits down just a little compared to the decline for the Severn Trent share price.

More broadly, Severn Trent has underperformed utility sector trackers like the FTSE All Share Utilities index in 2023. The utility index, which contains Severn Trent, United Utilities, and other power companies, has proven more resilient in the turbulence. 

So, relatively speaking, Severn Trent has lagged both utility peers and the UK stock market over the past year. But much of this stems from sentiment turning severely adverse against stable defensive shares perceived as overvalued rather than company-specific issues. 

Expand your knowledge with this article: Stocks & Shares - How do they work?

In Conclusion

The Severn Trent share price has seen significant volatility over the past year, mainly driven by broader economic and market sentiment rather than company fundamentals. While the stock remains down from 2022 highs, current levels offer long-term value for dividend investors. However, Severn Trent has lagged utility peers and UK markets recently.

Traders considering positions in Severn Trent should closely monitor inflation trends, political developments, and economic indicators like UK GDP growth. These macroeconomic factors likely continue driving Severn Trent’s valuation and share price performance for the foreseeable future. 

Learn and trade with Markets.com: The ultimate trading community!

“When considering “CFDs” for trading and price predictions, remember that trading CFDs involves a significant risk and could result in capital loss. Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.”