Investing.com -- Shares of HelloFresh (ETR:HFGG) surged on Tuesday, following the company's second-quarter results.
The consumer-focused food tech company’s revenues were broadly in-line with expectations, whilst delivering a strong beat on AEBITDA, said analysts from Jefferies in a note.
At 3:51 am (0751 GMT), HelloFresh was trading 12.2% higher at €6.06.
“Small AOV increases are offset by modest volume declines,” analysts said.
For the second quarter, HelloFresh reported revenues of €1,950.8 million, which was slightly -0.6% behind Visible Alpha consensus estimates. However, AEBITDA came in at €146.4 million, beating expectations by +17.3%.
Revenue growth in constant currency was at 0.9%, below the anticipated 1.7%, largely due to a 4.7% increase in average order value (AOV) offset by a modest year-on-year decline in overall order volume.
Despite these challenges, free cash flow (FCF) was strong at €56.6 million, a significant improvement compared to the consensus forecast of -€15.1 million.
The company reaffirmed its full-year 2024 guidance, projecting revenue growth between 2% and 8% year-over-year in constant currency, compared to the consensus expectation of +3.4% YoY.
AEBITDA is expected to range between €350 million and €400 million, slightly below the consensus estimate of €362 million.
The RTE (Ready-to-Eat) revenues now represent about 25% of total group revenues and are anticipated to grow further.
The company's RTE segment has shown robust performance, contributing significantly to overall revenue and demonstrating future growth potential.
HelloFresh's operational strength, despite historically low-volume periods in Q2, reflects its effective management and strategic positioning in the market.
Jefferies highlights that the company is valued using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis with an 11.2% WACC and a 2.0% long-term growth rate.
However, potential risks include heightened user churn post-COVID, increased marketing expenses, and competitive pressures.