Historical AI Consensus
This page preserves the research and market snapshot packaged for this batch. It is not updated with later prices or revised advisor outputs.
- Symbol
- SAF.PAR
- Batch
- 7
- Published
- September 20, 2026
- AI Advisors
- 14
Historical AI Consensus Investment Thesis
Safran (SAF) Stock Forecast and AI Rating
Forecast targets and rating
Published batch rating
BUY
Calculated from the frozen synthesized path using the same return, horizon, volatility and dividend rules as individual opinions.
1-Year
NEUTRAL€343
+6.2%+7.0% incl. dividends5-Year
BUY€484
+49.8%+55.9% incl. dividendsPublished batch insight
Aftermarket Engine Monopoly Cash Flow Outweighs Rich Valuation Headwinds
High consensus confirms that captive narrowbody propulsion aftermarket cash flows and expanding European defense backlogs will drive multi-year compounding. However, sharp divergence surrounds valuation multiples, where headline accounting distortions conceal premium duration risk that could compress during airline budget fatigue.
This analysis preserves the original published batch. Audit published forecasts in full transparency
Superintelligence (Anthropologist), Universal Investor (Polymath), Sherlock Holmes (Whistleblower), Elon Musk (Visionary), Warren Buffett (Value Purist), Ray Dalio (Strategist), Michael Burry (Vulture), Machiavelli (Insider), J.P. Morgan (Titan). Some archetypes run in multiple modes, resulting in 14 advisors total.
Full published thesis
Executive Summary
If you invested $10,000 in Safran at the forecast anchor (2026-09-18): $16,220 in five years versus $13,892 for S&P 500 benchmark.
* Return is calculated incl. 0.8% net dividend yield for Safran.
20-quarter synthesized forecastPrice targets, quarterly returns and the reasoning behind each stepView tableClose table
Frozen forecast from 18 Sept 2026. Prices in EUR; returns exclude dividends. Each quarter is compounded from the previous quarter.
Swipe the table horizontally to read every column.
| Quarter | Target (EUR) | Quarter return | Total return | Forecast rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2026 | 325.23 | +0.69% | +0.69% | Elevated jet fuel prices and high benchmark bond yields compress rich equity multiples, outweighing resilient civil aftermarket spares volume and active share repurchases as the first-half spare-engine delivery skew reverses. |
| Q1 2027 | 333.56 | +2.56% | +3.27% | Full-year financial disclosures confirm strong underlying free cash flow exceeding four billion euros. An expanded buyback tranche and raised operational targets restore institutional buying momentum, stabilizing valuation across European industrial portfolios. |
| Q2 2027 | 338.92 | +1.61% | +4.93% | Commercial flight hours expand into summer schedules, lifting CFM56 spare parts billings. Air show order visibility and initial LEAP-1B margin recognition offset ongoing sub-tier supplier casting bottlenecks and seasonal working capital build. |
| Q3 2027 | 343.01 | +1.21% | +6.20% | Macroeconomic deceleration and airline capacity discipline temper discretionary maintenance spending. Strong counter-cyclical defense deliveries of M88 turbofans provide revenue insulation, keeping price action steady despite multiple resistance near cycle highs. |
| Q4 2027 | 351.95 | +2.61% | +8.96% | European sovereign defense appropriations accelerate into year-end alongside steady airline flight-hour receipts. Moderating inflation expectations relieve duration pressure on premium multiples, supporting modest capital appreciation into the fiscal year close. |
| Q1 2028 | 363.83 | +3.37% | +12.64% | Full-year results confirm operating profit advancing toward landmark targets, supported by pricing power across commercial overhauls. Aggressive treasury share cancellations amplify per-share cash metrics, prompting positive sell-side earnings revisions. |
| Q2 2028 | 371.11 | +2.00% | +14.89% | Expanded maintenance facilities in Querétaro and Morocco absorb rising LEAP shop visits. While ramping original equipment engine deliveries slightly dilutes manufacturing margins, strong aftermarket cash collections sustain underlying equity gains. |
| Q3 2028 | 378.28 | +1.93% | +17.12% | Sustained high utilization of legacy narrowbody aircraft drives high-margin secondary engine overhauls. Peak summer flight cycles generate robust operational cash conversion, counteracting minor raw material alloy cost inflation across supply chains. |
| Q4 2028 | 385.04 | +1.79% | +19.21% | Achievement of multi-year operational targets and delivery of cumulative cash flow commitments validate management execution. The board authorizes a successor capital return program, prompting institutional allocators to maintain core overweight positions. |
| Q1 2029 | 395.51 | +2.72% | +22.45% | Annual financial reporting demonstrates that scaling LEAP aftermarket revenue successfully counterbalances the plateau in legacy CFM56 shop visits. Net cash balance-sheet strength provides solid valuation resilience amidst broader European economic softness. |
| Q2 2029 | 402.13 | +1.67% | +24.50% | Ground test progress on the open-fan RISE propulsion architecture reinforces terminal competitive moats. Concurrently, operational turnaround in aircraft interiors eliminates historical segment dilution, lifting group consolidated operating profitability. |
| Q3 2029 | 409.53 | +1.84% | +26.79% | Stable international passenger traffic maintains consistent utilization across active commercial fleets. Strong proprietary spare parts billing and contractual inflation indexing protect cash flow margins against rising baseline labor and engineering expenses. |
| Q4 2029 | 418.94 | +2.30% | +29.70% | Multi-year defense backlogs for Rafale fighter electronics and guided munition propulsion generate strong fourth-quarter billing. Ongoing share count reductions drive consistent per-share compounding, insulating the equity from broader market turbulence. |
| Q1 2030 | 428.89 | +2.37% | +32.78% | Annual earnings confirm recurring operating profit surpassing eight billion euros. The market absorbs the transition from legacy to modern engine services with confidence, rewarding superior return on invested capital with steady accumulation. |
| Q2 2030 | 438.79 | +2.31% | +35.85% | Maturing flight-hour agreements on young narrowbody fleets enter peak profit recognition windows. Normalized sub-tier manufacturing lead times lower working capital buffer requirements, releasing a fresh pulse of operational cash flow. |
| Q3 2030 | 445.02 | +1.42% | +37.78% | Predictable summer commercial flight cycles sustain high shop-visit throughput across global maintenance repair networks. Counter-cyclical sovereign defense revenues protect consolidated group margins from localized macroeconomic slowing in short-haul travel corridors. |
| Q4 2030 | 454.09 | +2.04% | +40.59% | Sovereign defense procurements and recurring civil services generate resilient year-end cash balances. Management outlines expanded capital distribution frameworks, prompting steady institutional buying as cash conversion consistently outperforms peer aerospace medians. |
| Q1 2031 | 464.91 | +2.38% | +43.94% | Preliminary annual disclosures confirm sustained double-digit return on equity and zero net indebtedness. Long-term commercial service contract backlogs insulate earnings from cyclical noise, supporting incremental equity accumulation among long-horizon portfolios. |
| Q2 2031 | 474.34 | +2.03% | +46.85% | Paris Air Show highlights next-generation propulsion milestones alongside new long-term service agreements. Superior aftermarket profitability and spare parts pricing power drive steady performance as the active fleet continues expanding. |
| Q3 2031 | 483.92 | +2.02% | +49.82% | Terminal horizon cash flows reflect fully matured narrowbody aftermarket contributions alongside sustained military electronics revenue. Flawless navigation of the fleet transition cements durable per-share intrinsic value at an appropriate normalized valuation multiple. |
The foundational investment case rests on an impenetrable commercial narrowbody propulsion duopoly converting into an unprecedented aftermarket cash harvest. As airframer delivery delays compel global airlines to fly legacy CFM56 airframes longer while young LEAP fleets log flight hours, captive shop-visit volumes and contractual pricing power decouple cash generation from cyclical macroeconomic volatility. Simultaneously, sovereign European defense rearmament provides non-correlated, high-margin revenue visibility. Valuation sensitivity remains the decisive analytical tension. Headline screening multiples of sixteen times earnings are distorted by non-cash IFRS currency hedging swings; underlying adjusted earnings trade closer to thirty-three times. A high-interest-rate regime imposes valuation duration risk, meaning total shareholder returns will depend on organic per-share cash compounding rather than speculative multiple expansion.
Key insights
- Delayed commercial aircraft deliveries paradoxically enhance near-term cash conversion by forcing lucrative, non-discretionary shop visits on fully amortized legacy engine fleets.
- Rate-per-flight-hour contracts defer accounting profit recognition, creating an artificial near-term margin drag that converts into compounding structural annuities by late decade.
- Pristine net-cash solvency and customer advance financing insulate the balance sheet from refinancing shocks, enabling systematic equity retirements that accelerate per-share growth.
The company operates an indispensable tollbooth on global commercial aviation. Because airlines cannot legally fly passenger planes without certified engines and maintenance, every flight hour deposits money into its accounts. As older aircraft are flown longer and newer models enter heavy maintenance, high-margin repair services generate massive, reliable cash flows. While the stock's valuation appears expensive when accounting for foreign exchange quirks, relentless share repurchases and expanding European defense orders ensure steady, high-quality long-term growth.
Key insights
- Airline shortages of new passenger planes force carriers to pay for profitable overhauls on older engines.
- Mandatory safety rules ensure airlines must purchase proprietary replacement parts, effortlessly passing along cost inflation.
- A rock-solid balance sheet with negligible debt allows management to consistently retire shares and raise dividends.
Deep Dive
The market views the asset as a bulletproof aerospace winner, pricing in flawless narrowbody flight-hour expansion and an effortless transition into record maintenance profitability. Sell-side consensus anchors on raised medium-term operating profit ambitions and a deceptively low headline valuation multiple. Investors assume airline maintenance demand is perfectly inelastic, brushing aside sub-tier casting bottlenecks, airline profitability compression from elevated jet fuel, and foreign exchange translation drag.