Will the Ocado share price deliver or drop-off?
After hitting highs for the year in January, the Ocado share price has steadied recently. Will the economic reopening help or hinder the delivery specialist as it reveals its half-year results. At the start of February, Ocados share price almost put it within touching distance of Tesco, the UKs number one food retailer, despite full-year revenues that were a mere fraction of Tesco's at 2.33bn. Since then, the shares have undergone a bit of a reassessment, falling around 30%. The declines appear to have coincided with the expectation of the easing of restrictions and steady reopening of the UK economy. As people become less reliant on home deliveries for their groceries, and gain the confidence to return to the supermarkets, the Ocado share price could face a challenge as business levels out. Ocado continues tech acquisitions  The company has continued to invest in its automation technology, paying a combined 287m to acquire Kindred Systems and Haddington Dynamics at the end of last year. Both companies specialise in robotics manufacture, and Tim Steiner, Ocado Group CEO, believes theyll enhance Ocados picking and packing capabilities: The bringing together of these three great companies to help solve this challenge is really, really exciting. These types of deal and capex are part of the companys strategy to streamline the picking functions in its automated fulfilment centres, to improve efficiencies across the business. In April, Ocado took this further investing 10m in Oxbotica, a company that specialises in software for driverless vehicles, which would be used in and around its warehouses and distribution sites. With logistics constituting a chunk of operating costs, the company will be looking for further cost savings through automation. Alex Harvey, Ocados chief of advanced technology, said: we are excited to develop a wide range of autonomous solutions that truly have the potential to transform both our and our partners operations.  This investment in new technology is a key plank in the companys desire to optimise its growth potential, as it continues to sign new deals and gets the benefit from the deals it signed with the likes of Marks & Spencer. The 750m tie-up with M&S led to the delivery specialist's busiest ever day for orders in September 2020, news which saw the Ocado share price rise 10.7%. The main concern for shareholders is the gap between its current valuation and its prospects for future revenue growth. However, given recent declines in the share price this is less of a problem than it was back in February. Tuesdays half-year numbers will be an early indication of how well the business is shaping up in this current fiscal year. Ocado will release its half-year results on Tuesday 6 July. Disclaimer: CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.