Fashion
Starbucks Corporation posted its second quarter financial results for the fiscal year 2016 (2QFY16), after the closing bell yesterday. The world’s leading coffee chain posted a 16.3% growth in earnings, as it continued to benefit from rapid expansion and growth.
Earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter came in at 39 cents, in-line with the Street’s expectations. Net income was registered at $575.1 million, higher from $494.9 million or $0.33 per share, reported last year.
Even though sales missed analysts’ expectations, the company’s president claimed it to be a record quarter, as the reported revenues outdid all preceding non-holiday quarters. In total, the $4.99 billion sales registered a 9.4% growth, from comparable quarter last year, when the company reported $4.56 billion in sales. The company lagged behind analysts’ $5.03 billion revenue estimates, by $40 million.
The company has aggressively worked to expand its physical footprint abroad; it recently disclosed plans to launch outposts, in Germany and Italy. Starbucks also opened its first store in South Africa, yesterday. For the quarter, the company opened a total of 350 stores globally, bringing the total to 23,921 stores worldwide.
And yet, sales growth fell shy of the Street’s estimates. Global sales from stores established for at least a year, improved just 6% for the period ending March 27. This included 2% improvement in store traffic globally, and 4% growth in average ticket. The global comps, which reflect a 200 basis points deceleration from the last quarter, disappointed investors; the company recorded 8% growth in the metric in the previous quarter.
Disheartened investors offloaded their holdings, as the stock took a downturn in the after-hours trade and tumbled as much as 5%, to $57.58 per share. The losses trimmed down in early market hours today; the stock is now down 2.7% to $59 apiece, as of 4:00 AM EDT.
Though global same store sales were slower than expected, region-wise growth was better than expected. “We posted 6 percent increase in comps globally, but if you go region by region, there is a story under each of those regions,” commented Starbucks’ president and chief operating officer, Kevin Johnson, in the earnings release.
By region, the Americas and the US segment posted a 7% comp growth, which was the highest for the quarter, followed by a 3% growth in the China/Asia Pacific region. Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region reported a 1% comps growth, as the foreign currency headwind against euros and pounds continued to affect international sales.
Growth in the US and the Americas played out well, due to the company’s constant efforts in the region. The company targets to double food revenue, from domestic flagship revenues. In this regard, it has made efforts to get more people to sign up for its mobile app. Starbucks looks to diversify its menu and push food beyond the coffee lineup, to include salad boxes and breakfast sandwiches. This strategy has played out well, as food ascribed to more than 20% of total US sales, for the quarter.
The company’s digital initiatives, including its mobile app, have helped Starbucks report a 9% growth in global revenues. According to the earnings call, the company’s investment in mobile initiatives, including the mobile order and pay app, has made it convenient for its users to make purchases at the store. This has resulted into significant growth, on the domestic front.
Starbucks disclosed that mobile usage and orders have nearly doubled from the comparable quarter last year. The company has processed eight million mobile ordered and paid transactions, on a monthly basis. According to an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, a normal mobile app user spends nearly three times as much as a store going customer, which can play out nicely for the company’s future revenues.
Despite a slight deceleration in global comps, the company has managed to report $5 billion in a record profit, for a non-holiday quarter. China outdid all other regions, as transactions in the country grew by 5%. This growth resulted in a remarkable 18% growth in revenues.
“Starbucks recorded Q2 financial and operating performance – including a stunning 18% increase in revenues and a 5% increase in transactions in China – underscores the strength of the Starbucks brand and the resiliency of our global retail and CPG businesses,” stated the company’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz. “Loyalty, technology and innovation are continuing to fuel our digital flywheel and propel our business forward all around the world.”
With hopes of continued growth in China, the company would add 500 stores each year in the country, in a move that could make the Asian country, one of the busiest Starbucks’ markets worldwide. A new store is set to be launched in mid-June, at the entrance of the newly opened Shanghai Disneyland. As it intends to cash-in on Disney World’s popularity, the company expects the launch to become the company’s “highest grossing retail store overnight.”
While Starbucks continues to underscore the global nature of its rapidly expanding business, Mr. Schultz commented in the conference call: “Starbucks is only getting started” in China. Though the company didn’t divulge on profit contribution from the country, China and the Pacific Region in total reported 15% growth in profits.
In fiscal year 2016, the coffee chain has plans to launch 1,800 new outlets globally. With nearly 700 outlets planned for the US, the company plans to open around 900 in the Asia Pacific region. For the year, consolidated revenues are expected to grow by 10%; the GAAP EPS is expected to fall anywhere in the $1.85-1.86 range. For the third quarter, EPS is expected to clock in between 47-48 cents apiece.
