HIGHCO Aix-en-Provence, 18 October 2023 (6 p.m.)
HIGHCO: Q3 2023 ACTIVITY STABLE (GP UP 0.1%); ADJUSTED GUIDANCE FOR 2023
Stable business in Q3 2023 on par with expectations
- Q3 2023 gross profit1 of €18.83 m, up 0.1% on a reported basis and LFL2.
- Nine-month YTD 2023 gross profit1 of €57.26 m, up 0.2% on a reported basis and LFL2.
- Growth in digital businesses (Q3 up 0.7% LFL; 9-month YTD up 2.5% LFL) and decline in offline businesses (Q3 down 1.3% LFL; 9-month YTD down 4.2% LFL).
- Slight business growth in France (Q3 up 0.3% LFL; 9-month YTD up 0.5% LFL) and a slight decline in International businesses (Q3 down 1.2% LFL; 9-month YTD down 1.5% LFL).
Adjusted guidance for 2023
- Decrease in gross profit of about 2%.
- Increase in headline PBIT3.
- Operating margin of more than 22%.
- Increase in adjusted earnings per share.
| Gross Profit (€ m) | 2023 | 2022 | 2023/2022 Change |
| Q1 | 18.90 | 18.80 | +0.5% |
| Q2 | 19.53 | 19.51 | +0.1% |
| Q31 | 18.83 | 18.81 | +0.1% |
| 9-month total1 | 57.26 | 57.12 | +0.2% |
1 Unaudited data.
2 Like for like: Based on a comparable scope and at constant exchange rates (i.e. applying the average exchange rate over the period to data from the compared period).
3 Headline PBIT: Profit before interest, tax and restructuring costs. Operating margin: Headline PBIT/Gross profit.
Didier Chabassieu, Chairman of the Management Board, stated, “As anticipated, HighCo’s third-quarter performance was stable (up 0.1%) amid an economic climate that remains complex and uncertain. In this context, and despite the business slowdown expected in the fourth quarter, the Group’s sound management enables us to forecast an increase in our results across the board and in our profitability for 2023.”
STABLE BUSINESS IN Q3 2023 ON PAR WITH EXPECTATIONS
Following the slight growth in H1 2023 (up 0.3% LFL), HighCo showed virtually stable business activity in Q3 2023 with gross profit of €18.83 m (up 0.1% LFL).
Digital was up 0.7%, driven in the third quarter by paperless promotional offers. Meanwhile, offline businesses fell 1.3% over the quarter.
Over the first nine months of the year, the Group’s businesses were up 0.2% to €57.26 m. Digital has risen 2.5% since the beginning of the year. The share of digital businesses in the Group’s total gross profit continued to grow, increasing from 66.6% at end-September 2022 to 68.1% at end-September 2023.
Slight business growth in France and slight decline in International business
| FRANCE | Gross Profit (€ m) | 2023/2022 Change | % Total gross profit | |
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Q1 | 16.30 | 16.14 | +1.0% | 86.3% |
| Q2 | 17.10 | 17.05 | +0.3% | 87.5% |
| Q3 | 16.51 | 16.46 | +0.3% | 87.7% |
| 9-month total | 49.91 | 49.66 | +0.5% | 87.2% |
In France, gross profit rose slightly, by 0.3%, to €16.51 m in Q3 2023, benefiting from the quarterly increase in the volume of coupons cleared and the strong performance of the promotion management businesses.
Digital businesses grew by 1.3% in Q3 2023. Offline businesses declined over the quarter (down 2.1%).
For the first nine months of 2023, business was up slightly by 0.5%, with France accounting for 87.2% of the Group’s gross profit. Digital businesses rose by 3.4% over the same period, and their share increased significantly to 69.3% of gross profit. Accounting for more than one quarter of business activities in France, Mobile has tapered slightly since the beginning of the year (down 1.1%) against a challenging 2022 comparative base (up 16.2% in the first nine months of 2022). Offline businesses were down by 5.5% in France since the beginning of the year.
| INTERNATIONAL | Gross Profit (€ m) | 2023/2022 Change | % Total gross profit | |
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Q1 | 2.59 | 2.65 | -2.3% | 13.7% |
| Q2 | 2.43 | 2.46 | -1.0% | 12.5% |
| Q3 | 2.32 | 2.35 | -1.2% | 12.3% |
| 9-month total | 7.35 | 7.46 | -1.5% | 12.8% |
The drop in International business in Q3 2023 (down 1.2%) remained limited, and gross profit totalled €2.32 m.
In Belgium, after several quarters of decline, gross profit grew by 1.7%, confirming the upward trend for the traditional promotion management business.
Business activities in Other countries (Spain and Italy) declined and account for 1.4% of the Group’s gross profit.
For the first nine months of 2023, International businesses fell 1.5% to €7.35 m, accounting for 12.8% of the Group’s gross profit. Down 4.3%, the share of Digital in International businesses represented 60.3% of gross profit.
ADJUSTED GUIDANCE FOR 2023
Given the financial performance reported since the beginning of the year and business forecasts for Q4 2023, the Group has adjusted its 2023 guidance as follows:
- Decrease in gross profit of about 2% (2022 gross profit: €77.16 m);
- Increase in headline PBIT (2022 headline PBIT: €16.22 m);
- Operating margin (headline PBIT/gross profit) of more than 22% (2022 operating margin: 21%);
- Increase in adjusted earnings per share (2022 adjusted EPS: €0.45).
About HighCo
As an expert marketing and communication, HighCo supports brands and retailers in accelerating the transformation of retail.
Listed in compartment C of Euronext Paris, and eligible for SME equity savings plans (“PEA-PME”), HighCo has nearly 500 employees.
HighCo has achieved a Gold rating from EcoVadis, meaning that the Group is ranked in the top 5% of companies in terms of CSR performance and responsible purchasing.
Your contacts
Cécile Collina-Hue Nicolas Cassar
Managing Director Press Relations
+33 1 77 75 65 06 +33 4 88 71 35 46
comfi@highco.com n.cassar@highco.com
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Q4 2023 Gross Profit: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
HighCo is a component stock of the indices CAC® Small (CACS), CAC® Mid&Small (CACMS), CAC® All-Tradable (CACT), Euronext® Tech Croissance (FRTPR) and Enternext® PEA-PME 150 (ENPME).
ISIN: FR0000054231
Reuters: HIGH.PA
Bloomberg: HCO FP
For further financial information and press releases, go to www.highco.com.
This English translation is for the convenience of English-speaking readers. Consequently, the translation may not be relied upon to sustain any legal claim, nor should it be used as the basis of any legal opinion. HighCo expressly disclaims all liability for any inaccuracy herein.
Attachment
- HighCo CP T3 2023_FR_VDEF_EN
