SAB – Beer sales remain weak while gross margin stays at low level, broadly in line with our expectation - Earnings Flash
  • 2024-02-01T00:00:00
  • Company Research
  • 2023 results: SAB announced its 2023 results with net revenue of VND30.5tn (USD1.2bn; -13% YoY) and NPAT-MI of VND4.1tn (USD167.6mn; -21% YoY). The weak results are broadly in-line with our expectations as 2023 revenue and NPAT-MI fulfilled 101% and 98% of our respective full-year forecasts.
  • Q4 2023 results: In Q4 2023, net revenue was VND8.5tn (USD346.7mn; -15% YoY & +15% QoQ) and NPAT-MI was VND947bn (USD38.5mn; -9.3% YoY & -9.4% QoQ).
  • Beer revenue improved on a QoQ basis but still witnessed a YoY drop. In Q4 2023, beer revenue was VND7.3tn (USD304mn), marking a 13% YoY decline, vs -13% YoY in Q3 2023. We attribute the continued weak sales performance to prolonged weak beer demand, driven by (1) subdued household spending, especially for non-essential items and (2) stricter enforcement of drunk driving laws. However, on a QoQ basis, beer sales increased by 10%, which we mainly attribute to higher consumption before the Lunar New Year.
  • Gross profit margin (GPM) continued to stay at a low level in Q4 2023. In Q4 2023, beer GPM decreased by 9 bps YoY and 31 bps QoQ to 33.8% in Q4 2023. Q4 2023 marked the 2nd lowest beer GPM during the eight most recent quarters since 1Q 2022, 10 bps higher than Q1 2023’s trough of 33.7%. In the full-year 2023, beer GPM narrowed by 133 bps YoY to 34.1%. We attribute the prolonged low GPM to high input cost inventories as SAB’s 2023 volume is lower than the company’s plan.
  • Net margin improved YoY but narrowed QoQ in Q4 2023: In Q4 2023, NPAT-MI margin improved by 71 bps YoY to 11.1%. However, on a QoQ basis, NPAT-MI margin plunged by nearly 300 bps due to (1) 129 bps lower blended GPM and (2) increased SG&A/sales of 47 bps. We attribute the increase in SG&A/sales to higher advertising and promotion spending to strengthen market positioning amid heightening competition.
  • 2023’s NPAT-MI margin was partly cushioned by the increase in net financial income. In 2023, the NPAT-MI margin declined by 142 bps YoY although EBIT margin declined by 321 bps. The decline in EBIT margin was partially offset by a 35% YoY increase in net financial income, largely driven by a 36% YoY increase in deposit income.

 SAB’s Q4 and 2023 results 

VND bn

Q4 2022

Q4 2023

YoY

2022

2023

YoY

2023/

Vietcap’s 2023F

Total revenue

10,029

8,520

-15.0%

34,979

30,461

-12.9%

101%

Beer revenue

8,471

7,341

-13.3%

30,600

26,923

-12.0%

100%

Others

1,558

1,180

-24.3%

4,379

3,538

-19.2%

109%

Total gross profit

2,814

2,456

-12.7%

10,771

9,091

-15.6%

99%

Selling expenses

-1,612

-1,339

-17.0%

-4,532

-4,479

-1.2%

101%

G&A expenses

-200

-214

6.8%

-741

-801

8.1%

101%

EBIT

1,001

903

-9.8%

5,498

3,812

-30.7%

96%

Non-operating profit

359

346

-3.7%

1,316

1,559

18.5%

102%

PBT

1,360

1,249

-8.2%

6,813

5,370

-21.2%

98%

NPAT-MI

1,043

947

-9.3%

5,224

4,118

-21.2%

98%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blended GPM

28.1%

28.8%

 

30.8%

29.8%

 

 

Beer GPM

33.9%

33.8%

 

35.4%

34.1%

 

 

Blended EBIT margin

10.0%

10.6%

 

15.7%

12.5%

 

 

EBIT/beer revenue

11.8%

12.3%

 

18.0%

14.2%

 

 

Blended NPAT-MI margin

10.4%

11.1%

 

14.9%

13.5%

 

 

Source: SAB, Vietcap forecast

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