December 9, 2024
New Delhi, India
Godrej Consumer Shares
Shares of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) experienced a sharp 10% drop in early trading on Monday, touching ₹1,112.05 per share on the BSE. The decline followed the company’s mid-quarter business update, which flagged challenges such as subdued demand and inflationary pressures.
Demand Pressures and Cost Challenges
Godrej Consumer Products pointed to weak demand in the FMCG sector over recent months, a trend reflected in broader market conditions. Despite this, the company has maintained an average organic Underlying Volume Growth (UVG) of approximately 7% over the past six quarters, supported by innovation and marketing investments.
Soaring palm oil and derivative costs—up 20–30% year-on-year—have significantly impacted the soaps category, a key revenue driver for GCPL’s standalone business. To manage these rising costs, the company has increased prices, reduced pack sizes, and adjusted trade offers. While these measures aim to mitigate cost pressures, they have temporarily reduced wholesale and household inventories.
Business Segment Highlights
- Soaps and Home Insecticides: Together, these categories account for about two-thirds of standalone revenue. Both segments have been affected by inflation and unfavorable weather conditions, including a delayed winter in the North and a cyclone in South India.
- Other Products: The remainder of the portfolio has shown resilience, with strong double-digit volume growth expected.
International Business
- Indonesia: The market continued to perform well, with mid-single-digit volume growth and high single-digit sales gains.
- Africa, USA, and Middle East (GAUM): While volume growth was affected by trade stock reductions and portfolio changes, profitability remained strong, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of robust EBITDA margins.
Outlook and Management Comments
The company acknowledged that these challenges are temporary and not indicative of structural issues. Management remains focused on navigating current pressures while maintaining investments in future growth initiatives. GCPL expects stabilization in volumes once price levels settle and anticipates improvement in the coming quarters.
Brokerage firms, including UBS Securities and JPMorgan, remain optimistic about the company’s outlook, highlighting strong performance in other product categories.
Despite near-term hurdles, GCPL is confident in its ability to overcome these challenges and deliver consistent, long-term growth.
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