QinetiQ shares remain a puzzle
Having significantly underperformed the global defence sector, independent analyst Alistair Strang looks at this mid-cap company's potential to catch up.
24th March 2026 07:41
by Alistair Strang from Trends and Targets
It seems some folk have woken up to QinetiQ Group (LSE:QQ.), a UK company who are one of the world's foremost in producing weapons. Rockets and missiles seem to be their specialist subject.
- Invest with ii:Open a Stocks & Shares ISA | Top ISA Funds | Transfer your ISA to ii
But all of this is a bit of a puzzle, the company share price being pretty rangebound over the last couple of years. Currently at 476p, the share needs a 10% rise to even begin to alert us that something has changed. Movements above 525p currently look capable of a lift to an initial 550p with our secondary, if bettered, at a confident looking 602p. A nudge such as this would be extremely significant, suggesting a third level future target of 674p should become possible.
However, the lackadaisical attitude over the last year bothers us – a lot. Sometimes, it feels the market punishes QQ just because they’re not a household name like Rolls Royce or Lockheed Martin, thus condemned to spend their life as a “me too” share rather than an actual driver for the sector.
This being the case, the immediate suggestion is of weakness below 458p triggering reversal to an initial 438p with our secondary, if broken, a less likely bottom at 402p.
Source: Trends and Targets. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
Alistair Strang has led high-profile and "top secret" software projects since the late 1970s and won the original John Logie Baird Award for inventors and innovators. After the financial crash, he wanted to know "how it worked" with a view to mimicking existing trading formulas and predicting what was coming next. His results speak for themselves as he continually refines the methodology.
Alistair Strang is a freelance contributor and not a direct employee of Interactive Investor. All correspondence is with Alistair Strang, who for these purposes is deemed a third-party supplier. Buying, selling and investing in shares is not without risk. Market and company movement will affect your performance and you may get back less than you invest. Neither Alistair Strang or Interactive Investor will be responsible for any losses that may be incurred as a result of following a trading idea.
These articles are provided for information purposes only. Occasionally, an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided by third parties. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience, your financial situation or your investment objectives. The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.
Full performance can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website. Simply click on the company's or index name highlighted in the article.