MARR confirms its capacity to perform better than the market also at the time of the recovery of consumption. Driven by a second quarter with a positive net result, the Group has closed the first half of 2021 with a significant growth compared to last year.
The first two summer months (June and July) show revenues from sales already comparable to those pre-pandemic. The strong commitment of the entire organization has enabled a justifiable optimism to be expressed for the near future as well.
A Senior Unsecured Notes transaction for 100 million Euros has been finalised in the USA.
The Board of Directors has called the Shareholders’ Meeting on 6 September 2021 to pass a resolution relating to the distribution of a gross dividend amounting to 0.35 Euros per share.
First half-year highlights
- Total revenues of 542.0 million Euros (447.1 million in the first half of 2020), with a second quarter of 353.3 million (185.3 million in the same period of 2020 and 459.6 million in 2019 respectively).
- EBITDA of 23.2 million (0.5 million in the first half of 2020), with a second quarter of 23.1 million (-3 million in the same period of 2020 and 39 million in 2019 respectively).
- Net profits of 1.1 million after 0.5 million in taxes. The first half of 2020 had showed a pre-tax loss of 19 million. The second quarter of 2021 alone closed with net profits of 7.5 million (after 2.5 million in taxes) compared to a result for the same period of -10 million in 2020 and 21 million in 2019.
- The net financial position as at 30 June, before the effects of IFRS16, and also thanks to careful management of credit, amounted to 125.2 million, with all of the covenants for the period fully respected.
The Board of Directors of MARR S.p.A. (Milan: MARR.MI), the leading company in Italy in the sale and distribution to the foodservice of food and non-food products, today approved the interim financial report as at 30 June 2021 and, among other things, called a Shareholders’ Meeting on 6 September 2021.
Considerations on the overall results for the first half-year and outlook
After a start to the year that was marked by a market situation that had significantly affected the first quarter of 2021, also compared to last year, the first signs of a recovery in consumption were beginning to be seen already in April.
This market situation is well represented by the figures recorded by the Confcommercio Studies Office (Survey no. 7 of 15 July 2021), which in the “Hotels, meals and out-of-home food consumption” segment highlighted, as a percentage trend variation by quantity compared to the previous year, a first quarter of -49.8% and a second quarter of +88.5%. The latter value, which still keeps consumption levels significantly below those of 2019 (according to Company elaboration around -42%) is in any case extremely comforting, given that it is an obvious and significant change in trend.
MARR has certainly made the most out of the opportunities arising from this trend.
Never having altered its focus on Clients and the Market, through a clear and schematic approach and the full implementation of the guidelines by the entire organization has enabled MARR to achieve a second quarter with a significant increase in revenues (353.3 million compared to 185.3 million last year), with growth rates that are well in excess of those of the entire Market. It must also be recalled that also during the first quarter, the reduction recorded by the Group had been significantly less than that of the Market itself.
The recent acquisition of the activities of the company Verrini specialised in seafood products, also contributed towards the result for the second quarter (approximately 16 million revenues in the quarter), confirming MARR’s capacity to quickly and efficiently integrate the assets acquired, which are part of a Market segment (especially the part concerning fresh caught seafood products) which is significantly expanding and capable of ensuring a high level of supplier/customer loyalty. All of this contributes towards enhancing and further increasing the MARR Group’s market share.
The positive nature of the second part of the half-year is confirmed by the trend of sales in the first two months of the summer season. In June and July, the MARR sales reached about 338 million Euros, a significant increase compared to 2020 (236 million) and closing in on those of 2019 (344 million).
The positive trend at the beginning of the summer season does however show some differences at a territorial level. To-date, the recovery in tourist locations is more significant than that in the art cities and in many areas, Restaurants are recording consumptions (by value) higher than those for 2019.
The trend in June-July thus make the hope of a recovery in out-of-home food consumption linked to holidays and tourism more realistic, which, thanks also to the strong efforts and professionalism of the entire organization enables to confirm a justified optimism also for the next months.
Main consolidated and segment results for the first half of 2021
With total revenues of 542.0 million Euros, the revenues from sales in the first half-year amounted to 534.9 million, compared to 441.1 million in the same period last year.
The recovery in the first half-year compared to the same period in 2020 has been seen in all three segments and has been driven by clients in the “Street Market” segment (restaurants and hotels not belonging to Groups or Chains), which performed better than both clients in the “National Account” segment, a category affected by the delays of clients in structured commercial foodservice, and those in the “Wholesale” segment.
The inflationary component expected in coming months has until now had a partial impact, starting in the last few weeks of the first half.
In the second quarter, the total revenues amounted to 353.3 million Euros (185.3 million in the same period of 2020 and 459.6 million in 2019), with sales amounting to 348.7 million Euros (181.4 million in the second quarter of 2020), of which approximately 16 million regarding Antonio Verrini and Chef, consolidated as of 1 April 2021.
In the first quarter, the total revenues amounted to 188.6 million Euros, with revenues from sales of 186.2 million, compared to 259.7 million in the same period last year. In particular, the sales in the first quarter of 2021 were affected by the zonal restrictions throughout the period, while the first quarter of 2020 was only affected by the lockdown measures from 10 March onwards.
Consolidated EBITDA for the first half od 2021 amounted to 23.2 million Euros (0.5 million in the same period of 2020), of which 23.1 million in the second quarter, compared to -3.0 million for the same period in 2020 and 39.0 million in 2019.
Consolidated EBIT in the first half of 2021 amounted to 7.1 million (-16.4 million Euros in 2020), of which 14.1 million concerning the second quarter (-12.1 million in the same period of 2020), and includes a prudential allocation to the provision for bad debts amounting to approximately 7.0 million Euros (of which 4.3 million in the second quarter of 2021).
The net result for the first half, after 0.5 million in taxes, amounted to 1.1 million Euros (the pre-tax loss for the same period in 2020 amounted to -19.0 million) and was affected by non-recurring costs of 2.9 million Euros accounted for in the second quarter concerning the early termination for a net counter-value of approximately 25 million Euros on 23 July 2021 of the USPP bond loan in US dollars subscribed in July 2013.
The net result for the second quarter, which includes the aforementioned non-recurring charges, amounted to 7.5 million Euros (after 2.5 million in taxes), compared to -10.0 million for the same period in 2020 and 21.1 million in 2019.
As at 30 June 2021, the net trade working capital amounted to 188.9 million Euros, a decrease compared to 232.4 million as at 31 March 2021 and 278.0 million at the end of the first half of 2020.
The net financial debt amounted to 186.5 million Euros, an improvement compared to 235.8 million as at 31 March 2021 and 262.6 million as at 30 June 2020. Net of the effects of IFRS 16, the net financial position at the end of the first half amounted to approximately 125 million Euros, with the covenants for the period fully respected.
The consolidated net equity as at 30 June 2021 amounted to 339.3 million Euros (326.8 million as at 30 June 2020).
Calling of the Shareholders’ Meeting and dividend distribution proposal
In its meeting on 15 March 2021 (see the press release on the same date), the Board of Directors of the Company, in consideration of the continuing uncertainty regarding the timeframe for the solution of the pandemic, had decided to propose to the Shareholders’ Meeting that dividends not be distributed, reserving the right to submit a proposal for the distribution of dividends using the available reserves depending on the evolution of the Market scenario. The subsequent Shareholders’ Meeting held on 28 April, which was attended by shareholders representing 82.53% of the share capital, had unanimously approved the proposal to retain the losses for 2020 and therefore to not propose the distribution of dividends, with the possibility, on the basis of the results that were to be achieved during the first half of the year, to subsequently submit a proposal, the Board of Directors calling another Shareholders’ Meeting in such an eventuality.
Today’s meeting of the Board of Directors, after acknowledging the results achieved in the first half-year and the positive market trends, thus decided to call a Shareholders’ Meeting on 6 September 2021, proposing the payment of a gross dividend of 0.35 Euros per share.
The resources for the payment of said dividend, foreseen for the month of October, will be taken from the available Reserves, which have been significantly increased following the 2019 result (approximately 64.3 million in net profits), which was entirely and prudentially allocated to the extraordinary reserve because of the start of the spread of the pandemic.
The trend in the results of the Company lead to forecast a confirmation, also in 2022 of dividends that will be paid out entirely from the expected result for this year.
During the Shareholders’ Meeting, the appointment of the Board Member Paolo Ferrari to the Board of Directors will also be submitted for approval.
Finalisation of a private placement bond of 100 million Euros
The minutes of the Board of Directors meeting of 21 July 2021 were today made available to the public (at the company head office, on the Company website www.marr.it and on the authorised storage mechanism www.emarketstorage.com), during which the issuing of the Senior Unsecured Notes for 100 million Euros with Pricoa Private Capital (a US institutional investor part of the Prudential Insurance Company of America) was approved.
The maturity of this bond loan is 10 years from the closing date of 29 July.
The declared use of the proceeds will be to refinance the Company’s debts and extend their average maturity and also for general business activities, including financing of M&A transactions.
The operation was closed without the involvement of placement agents, given that it was entirely managed by MARR, using internal Group resources.
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