Booze, Video Games and Soap Thrive in Lockdown: Earnings Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Drinking cocktails, playing video games and washing hands during the coronavirus lockdowns boosted earnings at some European companies, while the disruption the pharmaceutical industry has faced from the outbreak is becoming more clear.

French distiller Pernod Ricard SA followed rival Remy Cointreau SA in reporting a benefit from consumers buying more spirits to drink at home. Video-game developer Ubisoft Entertainment SA also posted a jump in sales thanks to people spending time playing at home.

Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever, meanwhile, said Thursday that sales of soap helped to offset weakness elsewhere in the second quarter. Shares of French advertising house Publicis Groupe SA also surged as its revenue held up better than expected.

The second-quarter earnings reporting season is at its peak this week and next, and European companies largely are confirming what analysts expected: The coronavirus pandemic crushed economic activity in the three months ended June 30, though business has picked up in recent weeks as lockdowns ended. The reports are reassuring investors, who pushed the Stoxx Europe 600 Index up by 0.4% at 10:25 a.m. London time. The benchmark has surged 34% since its March low.

While cocktails and soap have been in demand, selling pharmaceuticals has been harder as lockdowns kept people from visiting doctors for routine care. Roche Holding AG echoed the trends reported by Swiss rival Novartis AG earlier in the week, saying that pandemic lockdowns had disrupted sales for other key drugs.

Key Developments:

• European stocks rose, led by autos and personal and household goods companies
• Unilever CEO Signals M&A Appetite as Hand Sanitizers Help Sales
• Publicis U.S. Account Wins Soften Hit From Advertising Slump (1)
• Global Cases Top 15 Million; U.K. ‘Lacked Plan’: Virus Update

Here’s the top virus-related earnings news for today by sector.

Food & Drink

• Unilever’s second-quarter sales declined much less than expected, with demand for hygiene products offsetting lower ice cream and restaurant sales. Underlying sales fell 0.3% in the quarter compared to analyst expectations for a 3.9% decline. The stock surged as much as 8.6% and analysts said the sales beat was impressive.
• Pernod Ricard now anticipates a smaller decline in earnings in 2020 than initially forecast owing to strong demand from U.S. and European consumers for spirits to drink at home. Cost controls also boosted the bottom line. Its stock rose as much as 3.2% and Jefferies said its geographic mix helped the performance.
• Ingredients firm Tate & Lyle Plc said its revenue declined in the second quarter, hit by restaurant closures that were only partially offset by higher at-home consumption. Jefferies said the sales decline was less than it had expected and the stock rose as much as 4.5%.

Health Care

• Roche confirmed its full-year outlook as the Swiss drugmaker said sales were recovering from a hit in the second quarter from the pandemic. Its diagnostics unit, despite having rolled out Covid-19 tests, suffered from a hit to other routine testing. The stock fell as much as 2.6% with analysts saying the sales look “light.”

Media

• French ad-agency owner Publicis’s second-quarter revenue dropped by 13%, but this was much less than the 20% analysts had expected as it won work from big brands in the U.S. to soften the hit from the pandemic. The stock surged as much as 17% in Paris, with U.K. peer WPP Plc also higher, and analysts said the resilience Publicis is showing is “surprising.”
• RELX Plc said the pandemic has significantly hit its exhibitions business as it posted first-half revenue below estimates. The information provider added its other business units delivered revenue growth. The stock fell as much as 4.3% and KBC highlighted a “massive” hit to its exhibitions arm.
• Daily Mail & General Trust Plc said underlying revenue for the first nine months of its fiscal year declined and the outlook remains uncertain. It said Covid-19 has significantly hit its events, consumer media and U.K. property information arms. The stock rose as much as 4.7% with analysts praising the firm’s control over costs.

Autos

• Daimler AG expects it will make an operating profit in 2020 after its second-quarter results indicated the German car maker has weathered the virus downturn better than initially feared. Daimler shares gained as much as 6.7%, topping the autos index in Europe, with analysts saying its outlook is reassuring.
• Car-parts supplier Plastic Omnium SA sees the auto industry returning to pre-Covid levels around 2025, it said as it reported a 67% decline in first-half earnings. Like peer Valeo SA, it intends to cut costs in coming years to improve its results and cash generation. The stock fell as much as 5.1%.

Tech

• STMicroelectronics NV’s third-quarter revenue forecast topped estimates and it raised its full-year guidance on new products and better market conditions. The chipmaker’s second-quarter revenue was also ahead of expectations. Analysts said the outlook was “strong” and the stock rose as much as 4.3%.
• Video-game developer Ubisoft said second-quarter sales bounced as it benefited from players being locked down at home. The group also confirmed its targets and laid out its plans to deal with allegations of harassment in the company. Analysts said the results are strong and guidance looks beatable. The stock jumped as much as 4.9%.
• Design software firm Dassault Systemes SE slightly raised its guidance for the year and its second-quarter revenue met estimates. It said it expects “choppy demand” to continue but does anticipates an improvement in its end markets in the second half. The shares declined as much as 2.5% and analysts said consensus had been overly optimistic.
• Payments firm Worldline SA maintained its targets and said it sees improving momentum though first-half income missed estimates. Ingenico SA, which Worldline is acquiring, said its first-half earnings rose and confirmed its 2020 targets. Worldline shares rose as much as 5.6%, with Ingenico up as much as 5.8%.

Construction

• Swiss construction materials group Sika AG said it expects more favorable market conditions in the second half after saying its first-half earnings topped expectations. It said its business in the Americas region was the most heavily impacted by the virus during May. The stock rose as much as 4% to a record-high, with analysts saying trading has been better than feared.
• Swedish construction firm Skanska AB’s second-quarter revenue missed estimates, hit by virus-related disruptions in the U.S., U.K. and central Europe. Bloomberg Intelligence said the performance was resilient but the outlook is concerning. The stock dropped as much as 6.5%.
• Kitchens manufacturer Howden Joinery Group Plc reported a loss for the first half and said it continues to remain cautious given the economic uncertainties in the U.K. It said sales are higher for the first four weeks of the second half. The stock slipped as much as 3.8% and Citi said it anticipates consensus will move lower, though recent trading is more encouraging.

Oil & Gas

• Spain’s Repsol SA booked an impairment charge on its upstream business to account for lower oil and gas price estimates. The refiner’s second-quarter loss was narrower than expected. The stock rose as much as 2.6%.
• Finnish refiner Neste Oyj’s second-quarter profit beat estimates and it anticipates renewable utilization rates will remain strong in the third quarter, while demand for oil products is improving. The shares surged as much as 8.9% to a record, with Morgan Stanley highlighting a strong performance for its renewables business.

Chemicals

• Plastics manufacturer Covestro AG said it made a loss in the second quarter as sales declined, though it confirmed its prior guidance for 2020. It said demand in all segments declined amid the virus outbreak, though trends improved toward the end of the quarter. The stock slipped as much as 2%.
• Johnson Matthey Plc said its performance will be “heavily weighted” to the second half and its first-half performance will be materially weaker year-on-year owing to softness in its clean air unit. The shares fell as much as 2.2%.

Industrials

• Finnish forestry group UPM-Kymenne Oyj’s second-quarter earnings were ahead of expectations and it is seeing early signs of stabilization in graphic paper markets. Its shares rose as much as 4.4%.
• Local peer Huhtamaki Oyj’s second-quarter earnings beat estimates, but said demand for food-on-the-go packaging is likely to take a significant hit. The stock surged as much as 12% with Inderes saying the update highlights the firm’s resilience.
• Swedish mining machinery group Epiroc AB said it expects a continued negative impact on near-term demand as its second-quarter profit missed estimates. The stock fell as much as 4.8% with RBC saying the numbers look solid but the market may have been expecting more.
• Getlink SE said its first-half revenue and earnings both fell by about half. The operator of the Channel tunnel rail link said traffic has now resumed to a level where it no longer needs to use temporary unemployment support. The stock rose 0.3%.

Financials

• Contracts-for-difference provider IG Group Holdings Plc said its full-year net trading revenue rose by 36%, boosted significantly by market volatility in the period. The stock slumped as much as 10%, however, with Barclays noting the firm is striking a more conservative tone for its current financial year.

Insurance

• Swiss Re AG said it made a net loss of around $1.1 billion in the first half owing to $2.5 billion of claims and reserves related to Covid-19. The group said the money put aside in the half should cover the “majority” of its potential losses from the virus. The stock fell as much as 3.5%, though RBC said the group’s balance sheet remains intact.
• Lloyd’s of London insurer Beazley Plc reported a narrower pretax loss than estimated for the first half but said it will not pay an interim dividend. The stock bounced as much as 4.9% and Panmure Gordon said the update beat across a number of lines.

Metals & Mining

• Gold miner Polymetal Plc maintained its full-year production guidance as it reported 30% growth in second-quarter revenue. It also kept its cost guidance as benefits from the depreciation of the Russian ruble and Kazakh tenge is being offset by Covid-related costs. The stock rose as much as 2.9% to a record and Citi said the sales recovery was better than expected.
• Dutch aluminum extrusion firm Aalberts NV said its first half earnings and revenue both slumped but said its order took at the end of June is higher year-on-year. The shares rose as much as 6.2% and ING said it has shown a resilient performance.

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