Varun Beverages Gets Bullish Outlook From Brokerages After Strong Q4 Performance

Varun Beverages, the bottler of PepsiCo products in several regions, has received a wave of positive ratings from brokerage firms following its strong fourth-quarter results. The company's robust revenue growth, driven by both organic expansion in India and international acquisitions, has aided the positive momentum. Despite some margin pressures, brokerages remain optimistic about Varun Beverages' future prospects, citing its strong distribution network, capacity expansion, and growth potential in both domestic and international markets.

Emkay reiterated its "Buy" rating on Varun Beverages with a target price of Rs 800. The brokerage highlighted the company's enhanced capacity and light balance sheet as key drivers for future growth. Emkay noted that Varun Beverages' Q4 Ebitda was largely in line with expectations, with revenue growing 38% year-on-year.

This growth was fueled by 9-10% organic growth in India and international markets, along with the consolidation of the DRC and South Africa businesses. Emkay expressed confidence in Varun Beverages' ability to deliver double-digit volume growth in the near term, citing investments in capacity and distribution, new product innovations, and a strong start to the year.

Motilal Oswal also maintained a "Buy" rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 680. The brokerage emphasised the company's volume growth, particularly in international markets, as a major contributor to its strong Q4 performance.

Motilal Oswal pointed out that while margins were flat year-on-year due to the consolidation of the South Africa business, the company's overall performance was in line with expectations. They highlighted the healthy volume growth in India and the expansion in international markets through acquisitions and capacity expansion.

Motilal Oswal expects Varun Beverages to continue its growth momentum with double-digit volume growth in the domestic market and even higher growth rates in international markets.

Citi maintained a "Buy" rating on Varun Beverages with a revised target price of Rs 750 (down from Rs 800). The brokerage acknowledged the in-line Q4 results.

Citi addressed the concerns about increasing competition, particularly from Campa, stating that while Campa has aggressive expansion plans, Varun Beverages' established distribution network, branding, and manufacturing capabilities provide strong competitive advantages.

Citi emphasised management's confidence in maintaining double-digit volume growth in India and reiterated that Varun Beverages remains its top pick within the consumer staples sector. They consider the company relatively less impacted by macroeconomic weakness and possessing multiple self-help growth drivers.

Varun Beverages reported a 40.3% year-on-year increase in net profit for the fourth quarter, reaching Rs 185 crore. Revenue also saw a significant jump of 39.8% year-on-year, reaching Rs 3,689 crore. The company's operating income increased by 38.7% year-on-year. While Ebitda margin remained flat at 15.7%, the overall performance was strong, driven by volume growth and strategic expansion.