(BARY; Baa3 Neg/BBB- Neg/NR)
It had a factory that supplies most of NA closed for 3 weeks this quarter and is guiding to a significant impact on 1Q results. Combined with the seasonally -ve FCF in 1H (main crop buying season) it mutes some of the excitement from this morning. We are still unch on seeing the FY results as a firm credit positive, but as Barry mgmt itself implies, Cocoa remains in driver seat and is still volatile.
- At 5k Cocoa price, targeting CHF1b in FCF
- Capex to be similar to this year at 300m
- above lines up with its target 3.5x by year-end (paying ~150m/yr in dividends)
Re. NA production halt:
- "we expect as a significant volume decrease in Q1. The key reason relates to North America where we temporarily paused our production site in Saint-Hyacinthe in Canada due to a technical malfunction with one piece of our roasting equipment…The factory is significant contributor to the overall North America production and was closed for around three weeks."
On Cocoa price:
- "Short term, in other words for the upcoming crop cycle over the next six months, we are cautiously optimistic on supply. It is expected to be broadly similar to this past year, likely a slight decrease in West African crops to be offset by growth in the other origins. "
- "Long-term structural challenges remain for the industry to solve. Climate change, diseases, farming conditions"
- "For the first time in two years, the forward curve is flat. You pay the same for cacao delivered in December of this year and December of next year. This is very important. It incentivizes our customers to book rather than wait for lower prices in the future. It also reduces rolling costs associated with hedging significantly. "
- "Overall liquidity in the market is low and expect volatility to remain higher than before the crisis."
On cocoa-alternatives (some see more attention/money here given Cocoa's long term farming issues):
- "mid-July '25, we announced our partnership with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences to explore cacao cell culture technology"
- "today, we are pleased to announce a long-term commercial partnership with Planet A Foods."
- Planet A makes ChoViva - a Cocoa-free chocolate alternative made from Sunflower seeds