Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins posted a larger-than-expected 28% drop in second-quarter net profit, as a decline in margins from food price deflation offset higher sales at Polish market leader Biedronka.
The company said in a statement that its consolidated net profit fell to €156 million ($169 million) in the quarter, while analysts polled by LSEG had expected, on average, a profit of €167.6 million.
Chief executive Pedro Soares dos Santos said “2024 has been marked, after an inflationary cycle, by the harsh effects resulting from a sharp correction in food prices and a significant cost increase” and that he expected this to continue in the second half of the year.
“In this context of uncertainty…we will stick to our priorities: …grow sales in volume, as pivotal for preserving our competitiveness, increasing our customer bases, and expanding market shares,” he said in a statement.
Divisional Performance
Consolidated sales rose 6.8% to around €8.2 billion in the quarter fuelled by a 5.7% increase at the Polish market leader Biedronka, where sales reached around €5.8 billion.
However, Biedronka’s like-for-like sales in Polish zlotys fell by 4.6% in the quarter after rising 4.6% in the previous three months.
At home, sales at the Pingo Doce supermarket chain rose 3.7% to €1.2 billion, while in Colombia its Ara stores booked €721 million in sales, up 22% from a year earlier.
Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped 4.8% to €532 million, below the average of €557.5 million expected by analysts.
The company’s EBITDA margin – a key measure of profitability – slipped to 6.4% at the end of June from 6.9% a year earlier.
The margin at Biedronka fell to 7.6% from 8.5% a year ago.
