Release Date: December 18, 2024
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Ceconomy AG (MTAGF, Financial) reported seven consecutive quarters of growth in both sales and EBIT, demonstrating strong consistency.
- The company achieved a significant increase in adjusted EBIT by 26% to $305 million, driven by operational improvements and growth businesses.
- Ceconomy AG (MTAGF) successfully refinanced its corporate bond with a new sustainability-linked bond, securing debt financing until 2029.
- The company reported a substantial increase in customer satisfaction, with the net promoter score reaching a year-on-year high of 58.
- Ceconomy AG (MTAGF) achieved a 12% growth in services and solutions income, highlighting the strategic importance of this business area.
Negative Points
- The German market remains soft, with challenges in maintaining sales growth amid a competitive environment.
- Despite overall positive results, the company faces a volatile market environment, particularly in Germany.
- The gross margin was impacted by a competitive environment, especially in Turkey, due to market normalization and price pressure.
- The company anticipates only a moderate increase in sales for the upcoming financial year, reflecting ongoing market challenges.
- Ceconomy AG (MTAGF) faces potential headwinds in financial results due to the full impact of the new bond and lower expected dividends from Metro.
Q & A Highlights
Q: You've confirmed an EBIT margin target for '25-'26. Does this imply a bigger step in the last year, and what would be the drivers of this increase?
A: Yes, assuming the current consensus, there would be a bigger step in the final year of our midterm guidance. The EBIT increase will be driven roughly 50% by our growth businesses like service and solutions, marketplace, private label, and retail media. The other half will come from strengthening our retail core business and cost efficiencies, particularly in supply chain, media spending, and technology. - Kai-Ulrich Deissner, CFO
Q: Germany remains soft. How is the competition evolving, and what impact does this have on your business?
A: Despite the soft market, we've seen good market share gains in Germany. Our strategy focuses on strengthening our core business and leveraging our strengths, such as online growth and store refurbishments. We take competition seriously but are confident in our approach. - Karsten Wildberger, CEO
Q: What is the range of profitability for your retail media business, and what should we expect in terms of financial expenses for the coming year?
A: Retail media is highly profitable, with roughly 4/5 of sales contributing to the bottom line. For financial expenses, we expect a stable or slightly improved financial result compared to last year, with improvements in Turkey offsetting headwinds from the new bond and other factors. - Kai-Ulrich Deissner, CFO
Q: With German consumers being more cautious, do you see Amazon and others becoming more aggressive?
A: We haven't observed increased aggressiveness from competitors like Amazon. Our market share gains in Q1 suggest our strategy is effective, and we remain vigilant and prepared for any market volatility. - Karsten Wildberger, CEO
Q: Can you provide more details on the 40 basis points market share gain during the year?
A: The 40 basis points increase is an overall market share gain for the full year, consistent across both online and offline channels. Strong performances in countries like Spain, Turkey, and Austria contributed significantly to this gain. - Karsten Wildberger, CEO
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
