WASHINGTON: Procter & Gamble Co., the world’s largest consumer-products company, plans to sell, discontinue or otherwise eliminate as many as 100 brands in the next two years to cut costs and focus on its most important product lines.
The 70 to 80 brands that will remain have accounted for 90 percent of the company’s sales and more than 95 percent of its profit in the past three years, Chief Executive Officer A.G. Lafley said on a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter earnings, which beat analysts’ estimates.
Lafley has said he was reevaluating the company’s portfolio of brands and already started to narrow P&G’s focus since returning as CEO last year. So far his most notable move was agreeing to sell most of P&G’s pet-food operations, including Iams and Eukanuba, for $2.9 billion earlier this year.
The company’s top brands include Tide detergents, Pampers diapers, Crest toothpaste and Gillette razors.
“This will be a much smaller and less complicated company of brands that will be easier to operate,” Lafley said. The strategy will lead to a “significant rationalization” of product items and a more “significant pruning” of unproductive selling units, he said.
The company’s remaining brands will be organized into a dozen business units in four sectors, Lafley said. Most of the brands P&G is keeping are leaders in their industries or categories: 23 have sales of $1 billion to $10 billion, and most of the remainder have sales of $100 million to $500 million, he said.
Marketing, research and development, manufacturing and the company’s supply chain all will benefit from having fewer brands on which to focus, Lafley said.
Fourth-quarter profit excluding items such as restructuring expenses was 95 cents a share, the company said in a statement. That topped the 91-cent average estimate of projections compiled by Bloomberg.
Sales declined 1 percent to $20.2 billion in the period ended June 30. Analysts projected $20.5 billion, the average of 20 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Organic sales, which exclude the effects of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign-exchange rate fluctuations, rose 4 percent in fabric and home care as well as in baby and feminine care. Sales on that basis were little changed in beauty products.
While the results were “not great,” they were a relief because of lowered expectations, Ali Dibadj, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York, said Friday in an e-mail.
For the current year, the company forecast profit growth in the “mid-single” digits in percentage terms. Organic sales will grow in the “low-to-mid single” digits, it said.
(c) 2014, Bloomberg News.
P&G plans to eliminate 100 brands to focus on top performers
P&G plans to eliminate 100 brands to focus on top performers
Oil Updates — crude set for 3rd straight weekly gain on winter fuel demand
LONDON: Oil prices rose in early Asian trade and were on track for a third straight week of gains with icy conditions in parts of the US and Europe driving up fuel demand for heating.
Brent crude futures climbed 69 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $77.61 a barrel at 10:52 a.m. Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 66 cents, also up 0.9 percent, to $74.58.
Over the three weeks ending Jan. 10, Brent has advanced 6 percent while WTI has jumped 7 percent.
Analysts at JPMorgan attributed the gains to growing concern over supply disruptions due to tightening sanctions, amid low oil stockpiles, freezing temperatures in many parts of the US and Europe and improving sentiment regarding China’s stimulus measures.
The US weather bureau expects central and eastern parts of the country to experience below-average temperatures. Many regions in Europe have also been hit by extreme cold and will likely continue to experience a colder-than-usual start to the year, which JPMorgan analysts expect to boost demand.
“We anticipate a significant year-over-year increase in global oil demand of 1.6 million barrels a day in the first quarter of 2025, primarily boosted by ... demand for heating oil, kerosene, and LPG,” JPMorgan said in a note on Friday.
Meanwhile, the premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August this week, potentially indicating supply tightness at a time of rising demand.
Oil prices have rallied despite the US dollar strengthening for six straight weeks. A stronger dollar typically weighs on prices, as it makes purchases of crude expensive outside the US.
Supplies could be further hit as US President Joe Biden is expected to announce new sanctions targeting Russia’s economy this week in a bid to bolster Ukraine’s war effort against Moscow before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. A key target of sanctions so far has been Russia’s oil industry.
“Uncertainty over how hawkish Trump will be with Iran will be providing some support. Asian buyers have already been looking for alternative grades from the Middle East, with broader sanctions against Russia and Iran making this oil flow more difficult,” ING analysts said in a note on Friday.
SABIC, Almarai, SEC able to absorb fuel price hike: S&P Global
RIYADH: Major Saudi companies, including chemical company SABIC, dairy firm Almarai, and Saudi Electric Co., are well-positioned to handle the impact of higher fuel and feedstock prices introduced on Jan. 1, according to a new report.
Released by capital market economy firm S&P Global, the analysis reveals that those corporates will be able to absorb the marginal increase in production costs by further improving operational efficiencies as well as potentially via pass-through mechanisms.
This came after Saudi Aramco increased diesel prices in the Kingdom to SR1.66 ($0.44) per liter, effective Jan. 1, marking a 44.3 percent rise compared to the start of 2024. The company has kept gasoline prices unchanged, with Gasoline 91 priced at SR2.18 per liter and Gasoline 93 at SR2.33 per liter.
Despite the hike, diesel prices in Saudi Arabia remain lower than those in many neighboring Arab countries. In the UAE and Qatar, a liter of diesel is priced at $0.73 and $0.56, respectively, while in Bahrain and Kuwait, it costs $0.42 and $0.39 per liter.
“For SABIC and Almarai, the increase in feedstock prices will not affect profitability significantly. In the case of utility company, SEC, additional support will likely come from the government if needed,” the report said.
The capital market economy firm projects that SABIC will continue to outperform global peers on profitability.
“We don’t expect the rise in feedstock and fuel prices to materially affect profitability, since the company estimates it will increase its cost of sales by only 0.2 percent,” the report said.
It further highlighted that SABIC is considered a government-related entity with a high possibility of receiving support when needed.
The report also underlines that Almarai anticipates an additional SR200 million in costs for 2025, driven by higher fuel prices and the indirect effects of increased expenses across other areas of its supply chain.
“We believe Almarai will continue focusing on business efficiency, cost optimization, and other initiatives to mitigate these impacts,” the release stressed.
With regards to SEC, S&P said that an unrestricted and uncapped balancing account provides a mechanism for government support, including related to the higher fuel costs.
“We believe any increased fuel cost will be covered by this balancing account,” the report said.
The study further highlights that the marginal increase “could significantly affect wider Saudi corporations’ profit margins and competitiveness.”
The S&P data also suggests that additional costs will be reflected in companies’ financials from the first quarter of 2025.
“Saudi Arabia is continuing its significant and rapid transformation under the country’s Vision 2030 program. We expect an acceleration of investments to diversify the Saudi economy away from its reliance on the upstream hydrocarbon sector,” the report said.
“The sheer scale of projects — estimated at more than $1 trillion in total — suggests large funding requirements. Higher feedstock and fuel prices would help reduce subsidy costs for the government, with those savings potentially redeployed to Vision 2030 projects,” it added.
Lenovo to produce ‘Saudi Made’ PCs by 2026 following $2bn Alat deal closure
RIYADH: Chinese tech giant Lenovo is set to manufacture millions of computer devices in Saudi Arabia by 2026, following the completion of a $2 billion investment deal with Alat, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund.
First announced in May, the partnership has now received shareholder and regulatory approvals, paving the way for Lenovo to establish a regional headquarters and a manufacturing facility in the Kingdom.
The deal marks a significant step in aligning Lenovo’s growth ambitions with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of economic diversification, innovation, and job creation, the company said in a press release.
The factory will manufacture millions of PCs and servers every year using local research and development teams for fully end-to-end “Saudi Made” products and is expected to begin production by 2026, it added.
“Through this powerful strategic collaboration and investment, Lenovo will have significant resources and financial flexibility to further accelerate our transformation and grow our business by capitalizing on the incredible growth momentum in KSA and the wider MEA region,” Yang said.
He added: “We are excited to have Alat as our long-term strategic partner and are confident that our world-class supply chain, technology, and manufacturing capabilities will benefit KSA as it drives its Vision 2030 goals of economic diversification, industrial development, innovation, and job creation.”
Amit Midha, CEO of Alat, underscored the significance of the partnership for both Lenovo and the Kingdom.
“We are incredibly proud to become a strategic investor in Lenovo and partner with them on their continued journey as a leading global technology company,” said Midha.
“With the establishment of a regional headquarters in Riyadh and a world-class manufacturing hub, powered by clean energy, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we expect the Lenovo team to further their potential across the MEA region,” he added.
The partnership is expected to generate thousands of jobs, strengthen the region’s technological infrastructure, and attract further investment into the Middle East and Africa, according to the press release.
In May, Lenovo raised $1.15 billion through the issuance of warrants to support its future growth plans. The initiative, which was fully subscribed by investors, signals confidence in Lenovo’s strategic approach and its plans for global expansion.
The investment deal was advised by Citi and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for Lenovo, while Morgan Stanley and Latham & Watkins represented Alat.
Lebanon’s bonds climb as parliament elects first president since 2022
LONDON: Lebanon’s government bonds extended a three-month long rally on Thursday as its parliament voted in a new head of state for the crisis-ravaged country for the first time since 2022.
Lebanese lawmakers elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president. It came after the failure of 12 previous attempts to pick a president and the move boosts hopes that Lebanon might finally be able to start addressing its dire economic woes.
Lebanon’s battered bonds have almost trebled in value since September when the regional conflict with Israel weakened Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, long viewed as an obstacle to overcoming the country’s political paralysis.
Most of Lebanon’s international bonds, which have been in default since 2020, rallied after Aoun’s victory was announced to stand between 0.8 and 0.9 cents higher on the day and at nearly 16 cents on the dollar.
They have also risen almost every day since late December, although they remain some of the lowest priced government bonds in the world, reflecting the scale of Lebanon’s difficulties.
With its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, Lebanon is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates to have cost the country $8.5 billion.
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in green at 12,097
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Thursday, gaining 9.01 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 12,097.75.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR7.48 billion ($1.99 billion), as 96 stocks advanced, while 133 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased by 3.28 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 1,510.14.
The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, surged, gaining 251.24 points, or 0.82 percent, to close at 31,027.39. This comes as 56 of the listed stocks advanced, while 32 declined.
The best-performing stock was Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing Co. for the second day in a row, with its share price increasing by 7.69 percent to SR49.
Other top performers included Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.5 percent to SR14.74, and Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co., which saw a 4.42 percent increase to SR35.45.
Arabian Pipes Co. and Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group also saw positive change with their share prices moving up by 4.10 percent and 3.89 percent to SR12.70 and SR298.80, respectively.
The worst performer of the day was Salama Cooperative Insurance Co., whose share price fell by 5.88 percent to SR19.52.
Almoosa Health Co. and Al Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker Co. also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.13 percent and 3.91 percent to SR133.20 and SR28.25, respectively.
On the announcements front, Riyad Bank declared its intention to fully redeem its $1.5 billion fixed-rate reset tier 2 sukuk, issued in February 2020, on Feb. 25, 2025.
According to a Tadawul statement, the sukuk originally maturing in 2030, will be redeemed at face value in accordance with the terms and conditions. The redemption, approved by the regulators, will include any accrued but unpaid periodic distributions.
On the redemption date, Riyad Sukuk Limited will deposit the full amount into the accounts of sukuk holders, marking the completion of the issuance. This redemption will conclude the sukuk’s life, with no remaining value post-redemption.
Riyad Bank ended today’s trading session edging up by 0.91 percent to SR27.85.
