Kevin McBride Stock Gets Fresh Buy Call Amid Mixed Institutional Activity

Peel Hunt Limited has reinstated its bullish stance on McBride (OTCPK:MCBRF), with analysts setting a one-year price target of $2.20 per share—suggesting meaningful upside potential from recent trading levels. The forecast range spans from $2.08 to $2.38, reflecting analyst confidence in the company’s recovery prospects.

Financial Outlook Raises Questions

Kevin McBride’s projected annual revenue stands at approximately 709 million, marking a 23.49% decline year-over-year. This contraction is offset by analyst expectations embedded in the positive recommendation, though non-GAAP earnings are expected to come in at -0.13 per share, indicating the company remains in a restructuring phase.

Institutional Moves Show Caution

A total of 19 institutional investors maintain positions in MCBRF, with no change in the count over the past quarter. However, aggregate portfolio weighting has ticked up 16.97%, reaching just 0.01% of all institutional holdings—a modest but noteworthy increase. Total shares held by institutions grew 0.41% to 2.461 million shares over three months.

Individual institutional movements tell a more nuanced story. Dfa Investment Trust Co’s United Kingdom Small Company Series increased its stake by 2.16% to 977,000 shares (0.55% ownership), yet paradoxically reduced its overall portfolio allocation to MCBRF by 25.47%, suggesting a rebalancing rather than renewed conviction.

Other major holders including DFIEX International Core Equity Portfolio and various DFA International funds maintained stable positions, with holdings ranging from 53,000 to 869,000 shares. This relative stability among diversified funds points to MCBRF occupying a minor but persistent role in global equity strategies.

The Analyst Thesis

The Peel Hunt upgrade reflects growing optimism that Kevin McBride’s operational challenges may be stabilizing. Yet the mixed signals from institutional portfolios—growing aggregate exposure alongside tactical position cuts—suggest the market remains cautious about near-term catalysts.