Mowi’s Q4 update boosts the banks confidence amid lower costs.
The world’s leading salmon producer, Mowi delivered a positive update last week, driven by a higher operating profit per kilo than expected as a result of lower costs.
The update has been well-received by the market, suggesting a positive turnaround amidst the industry’s recent struggles with cost inflation, according to Norwegian news service TDN Direkt, which provided a summary of the reaction from a number of investment banks.
Earnings of €1.028 billion and 475,000 tons harvested as Mowi outperforms expectations
Sparebank 1 Markets responded positively to the update, particularly highlighting Mowi’s stronger margins in Chile, as well as in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
“All else being equal, we expect the consensus for earnings estimates to rise slightly after the report, driven by lower than expected farming costs in Chile” , wrote the bank.
Fearnley Securities, focusing on cost management, observed a decrease of €0.15 per kilo from the previous quarter, surpassing Mowi’s initial projections of stable costs.
However, the report noted that harvest volumes fell short of guidance by five percent, largely attributable to Scotland and Canada, regions marked by negative margins. This shortfall, according to Fearnley, had a negligible effect on the company’s operating profit per kilo.
In light of the prolonged cost inflation issues within the industry, Mowi’s update comes as a notable positive shift. Fearnley Securities, however, maintains that this update might have a limited influence on the 2024 consensus estimates.
ABG Sundal Collier interpreted the update as an indicator of a potentially stronger biological situation in Norway, which could positively impact both cost and price performance in 2024. This observation leads the brokerage to foresee a potential rise in the consensus for Mowi’s 2024 operating profits.
