Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits: 2025 Half-Year Results

Core Viewpoint - The company reported a significant decline in earnings for the first half of 2025, primarily due to challenging commercial negotiations in France and stock adjustments by distributors, despite some resilience in international markets [2][3][10]. Financial Performance - Net revenues for H1 2025 were €86.6 million, down 8.5% from €94.9 million in H1 2024 [6][10]. - The gross margin decreased to €33.7 million, a decline of €2.5 million compared to €36.2 million in H1 2024, although the gross margin ratio improved by 0.8 percentage points to 38.9% [6][9]. - EBITDA fell to €5.9 million, down €2.6 million from €8.5 million in H1 2024 [6][9]. - Net profit attributable to the Group was €2.6 million, a decrease of €3.9 million from €6.5 million in H1 2024 [6][20]. Market Dynamics - The France Cluster experienced a revenue drop of 17.4% to €35.1 million, with a more pronounced decline of 23.8% in Q2 2025 [11][12]. - The International Cluster's revenues were €51.4 million, down 1.3%, with Q2 sales declining 5.6% [13][19]. - The decline in sales was attributed to sluggish market conditions and the absence of price agreements for the William Peel Scotch brand in France [3][10]. Strategic Initiatives - The company is focusing on cost control measures and has initiated a cost reduction program to safeguard profitability [6][9][26]. - Investments in industrial capacities and IT projects continue, maintaining a comfortable net cash position of €43.8 million as of June 30, 2025 [21][24]. - The company is actively pursuing growth opportunities in its Industrial Services and Agency Brands segments, which are showing potential for real growth [28][29]. Outlook - The company anticipates 2025 to be a transitional year amid ongoing tensions in the global wine and spirits markets and plans to leverage its distribution networks and strategic segments for sustainable growth [25][24]. - Ongoing dialogue with major retailers in France aims to mitigate the impact of commercial tensions and achieve balanced agreements [27][28].