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We’re now in reporting season, so some FTSE shares may experience volatile moves. Even though it’s a time to be careful, financial updates provide the potential for investors to assess where a business is currently at, along with the latest outlook. So when I spotted one stock that roared higher yesterday (22 January), it caught my eye for the right reasons.
Trading update highlights
I’m talking about Senior (LSE:SNR). The engineered components and systems supplier saw the share price jump yesterday, meaning the stock is up 50% in the past year.
It tied in with the release of a trading update for the 2025 calendar year, in which it said it expects full-year “performance to be comfortably above previous expectations”.The annual results are due out in March.
The upbeat message was primarily driven by strong performance in its aerospace division, which benefits from higher commercial aircraft production. Interestingly, another factor was robust defence demand.
Management also highlighted positive trading momentum into this month, giving investors confidence that things can keep going. Alongside the uplift in outlook, the company has reduced its cost base and received some early proceeds from the sale of its aerostructures business. This means it expects the annual report to show net debt below £80m (versus £153m from this time last year).
The direction from here
For those who weren’t already invested, the issue is now whether or not the ship has sailed. The immediate answer is that we’ll have to wait until March for the full story to come through. If results turn out even better than current sentiment indicates, there could be further room for the stock to run.
If we set aside the expectation of results, the fundamentals driving the company suggest this could be sustainable. With firms like Boeing and Airbus still ramping up production after pandemic supply-chain disruptions, Senior’s aerospace revenue has legs to keep growing.
Getting rid of the lower-margin Aerostructures division lets the company focus on steadier and more profitable areas. Over time, this should make the company more efficient and hopefully more profitable.
Despite all this good news, there are still risks involved. For example, aerospace and defence is becoming an increasingly competitive area, given the heightened geopolitical tensions. Large players like Rolls-Royce are looking for more business, potentially causing a loss of market share or shrinking profit margins for Senior.
Overall, I think the trading update acts to put Senior on the investment radar of a lot more people. Even though I like the company, I’d prefer to wait until March to get the full details before making a decision. This is mainly due to a lot of optimism now factored in to the stock price. As a result, the bar to impress (and lift the stock) has suddenly got higher!
