HelloFresh SE ’s earnings beat expectations as it begins to reap the benefits of its strategy of prioritizing customer loyalty over volumes. First-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization reached €23.6 million ($27.7 million), ahead of estimates of €21 million. Average order value grew 4.2% at constant currency, while the revenue decline was not as severe as ...
HelloFresh SE ’s earnings beat expectations as it begins to reap the benefits of its strategy of prioritizing customer loyalty over volumes. First-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization reached €23.6 million ($27.7 million), ahead of estimates of €21 million. Average order value grew 4.2% at constant currency, while the revenue decline was not as severe as analysts expected. The meal-kit delivery company had announced a €300 million efficiency program last year, aimed at improving long-term customer retention by streamlining operations and investing in product innovation. HelloFresh said it’s pursuing a “more profitable, high-quality subscriber base,” which resulted in a dip in marketing expenses and a corresponding drop in volumes. There is still a long way to go for HelloFresh to return to growth. First-quarter revenue was hit by severe winter storms that drove up customer refunds and fulfillment costs, and the company still expects sales to drop as much as 6% at constant exchange rates this year. HelloFresh’s ambitions to lift sales above €8 billion beyond 2027 “ lack credibility ,” Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Charles Allen and Diana Gomes said prior to the earnings release, as the company faces “demand still eroding rather than stabilizing.”
takasuu/iStock via Getty Images The preferred stocks of Sound Point Meridian Capital Inc. ( SPMC ) at present offer a ~8% dividend yield, with very slight duration exposure, consistent with their short maturity profile. The two preferred stock series ( SPMA ) and ( SPME ) trade largely identically to the par value of ~$25 currently. While the headline yield might appear to be decent, considering t...
takasuu/iStock via Getty Images The preferred stocks of Sound Point Meridian Capital Inc. ( SPMC ) at present offer a ~8% dividend yield, with very slight duration exposure, consistent with their short maturity profile. The two preferred stock series ( SPMA ) and ( SPME ) trade largely identically to the par value of ~$25 currently. While the headline yield might appear to be decent, considering the consistent deterioration in asset coverage ratios of the company along with NAVs, an investor should be cautious with this allocation. Since SPMC is an investment management company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which generally has a pass-through tax structure, the dividends are usually taxable as ordinary income and do not get the benefit of qualified dividends. More importantly, however, the underlying positioning of the company makes the current yield not entirely adequate. In addition, unlike many other preferred shares, the current issues are not offering any discount to par value either. There is no optionality in upside; therefore, downside remains exposed, even without duration risks. Therefore, while the yield remains decent, considering the consistent deterioration in the fundamentals that the company saw, it might still be better to look for opportunities elsewhere. Company Overview Sound Point Meridian Capital, Inc. primarily invests in equity and mezzanine tranches of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). The company recently began trading as a listed entity with its IPO in June 2024 . The company, however, for the time being, has largely disappointed investors. The company continues to distribute a significant amount in dividends with reference to both market price and underlying NAV; however, they are largely attributable to return of capital, which further depresses NAVs. Performance since listing-negative for commons ( YCharts) The NAV continues to decline, with it being at around ~$9.5 per share as of the last reported value as of 31st Mar...
EschCollection/DigitalVision via Getty Images Thesis Noah Holdings Limited ( NOAH ) is undergoing a shift in terms of its revenue model, increasing its focus on the asset management side of business while also increasing its share of revenue earned from overseas dramatically. While stagnant top line growth remains the current execution challenge, the current valuation prices in a pessimistic scena...
EschCollection/DigitalVision via Getty Images Thesis Noah Holdings Limited ( NOAH ) is undergoing a shift in terms of its revenue model, increasing its focus on the asset management side of business while also increasing its share of revenue earned from overseas dramatically. While stagnant top line growth remains the current execution challenge, the current valuation prices in a pessimistic scenario that is not supported by fundamentals. The company is trading at a P/B ratio of 0.5 with cash exceeding its market cap, has an 11% dividend yield covered by an almost debt-free balance sheet, and has expanding operating margins. NOAH offers significant upside even under conservative, zero growth assumptions. The factors mentioned lead me to give NOAH a Buy rating with a target price of $13.48 for the ADS. About the Company NOAH was previously a wealth management platform with a business model built off one-time commissions through product distribution sales. The company has transitioned to becoming an asset allocator, increasing income realized through performance and asset management. This has mainly served to increase long-term earnings quality by providing more stable earnings visibility. NOAH's main client targets are Chinese HNW and UHNW individuals globally. Just to be clear, whenever I would refer to domestic here, it would mean mainland China. The company has various platforms through which it delivers its services. The first is Noah Upright, the domestic public securities business, which distributes mutual funds and RMB-denominated private secondary products to domestic Chinese clients. Next is Gopher Asset Management, which is the domestic asset management business. Gopher is the actual fund manager of RMB-denominated private equity funds and private secondary products, not just the distributor. The last domestic platform is Glory, which domestically distributes life and health insurance products. Coming to the overseas platforms, Olive Asset Management is the...