Avantor's (AVTR) turnaround narrative merits a constructive view, but that should be balanced against the level of execution still needed, RBC Capital Markets said in a note emailed Friday.

The firm said that while investor expectations and the shares' multiples "have reset," it does not consider consensus estimates and company targets fully de-risked, such as free cash flow guidance, which is an important metric.

The company's outlook of $500 million to $550 million of free cash flow in 2026 "seems difficult to achieve" after $39 million, excluding restructuring costs, in Q1, the note said.

Meanwhile, Avantor's management's focus on improving e-commerce and service levels, as well as branding, is an indication that it is "addressing the right concerns," RBC said.

"Early signals are encouraging, and the Q1 2026 earnings report was the first in a while not accompanied by downward estimate revisions," the note said.

RBC resumed Avantor's coverage with a sector perform rating and a $9 price target.

Price: 7.76, Change: -0.19, Percent Change: -2.33