Original-Research: LAIQON AG (von NuWays AG): BUY

Classification of NuWays AG to LAIQON AG

Company Name:	LAIQON AG
ISIN:	DE000A12UP29
Reason for the research:	Update
Recommendation:	BUY
Target price:	EUR 8.8
Target price on sight of:	12 months
Last rating change:
Analyst:	Simon Keller

Q1 KPIs mixed, strategic progress intact, chg. LAIQON’s first Q1 26 KPI release on 27 April showed continued AuM momentum, while profitability remained below our expectations. This came shortly after the audited FY25 figures, which confirmed the preliminary numbers (sales € 34.9m, EBITDA € -2.9m, burdened by c. € 2.5m one-off expenses). Together with the recently detailed financing package, the releases provided a clearer picture of the FY26 setup: AuM scaling remains intact, while we now model a more conservative EBITDA delivery path. Q1 AuM grew 49% yoy to € 9.8bn (€ 10.1bn as of 15 April), with strong net organic growth of € 1.1bn. Encouragingly, Digital Wealth crossed the € 1bn AuM threshold in April. Group sales reached € 10.6m (+63% yoy, Asset Management +104% driven by MainFirst, Digital Wealth +22%), and EBITDA improved by € 1.6m yoy to € -1.2m. Still, the EBITDA run-rate came in below our expectations, indicating a slower margin pick-up than previously assumed. Against this backdrop, we view the FY26 guidance midpoint as achievable, although no longer the most prudent base case. Delivery in the remaining quarters should come from visible WertAnlage monetisation and initial Amundi ETF traction. We consequently leave sales broadly unchanged, while positioning EBITDA at the lower end of the guidance, with eNuW now at € 53m sales and € 4.6m EBITDA. On the financing side, the cash capital increase was placed on 31 March at € 4.30 per share for c. € 6.6m in total (1.54m new shares, c. 7% of total). For the new 6.50% bond 2026/31, c. € 5.7m has been subscribed so far, with a further € 5m strategic investor contribution expected. Taken together with a debt/equity swap, the measures should help LAIQON work through the financial legacy of its acquisition phase. In sum, the equity story remains intact. With the platform built, MainFirst integrated and the Amundi AI-ETF launch approaching in summer, 2026 should be the year in which strategy starts becoming visible in the financials. WertAnlage remains the key growth contributor for Digital Wealth. Monthly inflows have reached c. € 50m and continue to accelerate, supported by the stepwise rollout across cooperative banks. Of the c. 400 cooperative banks currently addressable, c. 100 have already been connected, of which 68% are active and 32% are still in onboarding or contracting. Operating leverage ought to translate incremental AuM disproportionately into earnings, supporting management’s maiden dividend ambition for FY 2026. Axel Hörger adds relevant capital markets and distribution experience. As CSTRO since the beginning of the year, the former UBS Deutschland CEO is responsible for Asset and Wealth Management as well as Group Sales, with a clear mandate to strengthen partner networks. This also came across clearly at our recent Madrid conference and looks particularly relevant for WertAnlage, where bank activation is now key for monetisation. BUY reiterated, new PT € 8.80 (old: € 9.10), based on DCF. You can download the research here: laiqon-ag-2026-05-07-update-en-eb38e For additional information visit our website: https://www.nuways-ag.com/research-feed Contact for questions: NuWays AG - Equity Research Web: www.nuways-ag.com Email: research@nuways-ag.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany ++++++++++ Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Börsengeschäfte. Offenlegung möglicher Interessenkonflikte nach § 85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befindet sich in der vollständigen Analyse. ++++++++++