Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Why Is Inter Parfums (IPAR) Up 2.8% Since Last Earnings Report?

Read MoreHide Full Article

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Inter Parfums (IPAR - Free Report) . Shares have added about 2.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Inter Parfums due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Inter Parfums Beats on Q3 Earnings, Ups FY23 EPS View

Inter Parfums delivered impressive third-quarter 2023 results, with the top and bottom lines increasing year over year. Also, both metrics comfortably surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. While management reaffirmed its 2023 net sales guidance, it raised the EPS view.

Q3 Results in Detail

Inter Parfums posted third-quarter earnings of $1.66 per share, up 28% from the year-ago quarter. The metric surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.27 per share.

Quarterly net sales rallied 31% to $368 million compared with $280 million in the year-ago quarter. The metric surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $357 million. The company has been reaping the benefits of the favorable trends and the momentum in the fragrance market. IPAR is growing its market share with innovative programs. At comparable foreign currency rates, third-quarter consolidated net sales rallied 27% year over year.

North America remained Inter Parfums' most significant market, witnessing a 29% sales increase in the third quarter from the prior-year period. Following closely behind, Western Europe displayed 24% growth in sales.

Asia, constituting the company's third-largest market, also delivered a strong performance, with net sales increasing 20% in the same period. Notably, the company achieved higher sell-out rates in China, particularly on Coach, Montblanc, and Ferragamo, resulting in more efficient stock-in-trade management, which is expected to yield favorable results in 2024.

Regarding the recent license acquisitions of Roberto Cavalli and Lacoste, the company anticipates deriving benefits from these acquisitions starting in 2024. Shipments of Roberto Cavalli fragrance products are scheduled to commence in January 2024, with plans for further extensions in mid-summer of the same year. The Lacoste license will come into effect in January 2024, and the company is well-prepared to launch corresponding strategies and innovative products.

IPAR's continued commitment to significant investments in advertising and promotion is aimed at ensuring strong sell-out performance at the retail level, building brand awareness and sustaining growth. It plans to allocate 21% of its annual net sales to advertising and promotion, reiterating its aggressive approach to drive sell-through.

Meanwhile, Inter Parfums’ third-quarter gross profit came in at $235 million, up 29% from the $181.9 million reported in the year-ago quarter. The gross margin was 63.9%, down 100 basis points (bps) from the 64.9% reported in the year-ago quarter. We had expected a gross margin contraction of 250 basis points.

The company’s operating income came in at $87.2 million, up 35% from the $64.5 million reported in the year-ago quarter. The operating margin came in at 23.7%, up 70 bps from the 23% reported in the year-ago quarter. We had expected the metric to be 18.5% in the third quarter of 2023.

Inter Parfums’ SG&A expenses were $147.8 million, up 25.9% from the $117.4 million reported in the year-ago quarter.

SG&A, as a percentage of sales, experienced a decline of 170 bps, reaching 40.2%. This reduction can be attributed to the substantial increase in third-quarter sales, enabling a more efficient absorption of fixed expenses compared to the previous year. This positive outcome was achieved despite heightened investments in advertising, promotion and the structural investments made to support the newly acquired licenses.

Other Financial Aspects

Inter Parfums ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $79.8 million, long-term debt (excluding the current portion) of $129 million, and total equity of $876.9 million.

Inter Parfums announced a dividend of 62.50 cents, payable Dec 31, 2023, to shareholders of record as of Dec 15.

In the first nine months of 2023, management repurchased 85,060 shares worth $11.3 million. The company is likely to keep repurchasing shares during 2023.

Guidance

Management reaffirmed its 2023 net sales guidance. IPAR expects 2023 net sales of $1.3 billion, suggesting 20% growth from the 2022 reported figure. The company raised its 2023 EPS guidance to $4.75 from the $4.55 stated earlier. The outlook indicates growth of 26% from the $3.78 reported in 2022.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.

The consensus estimate has shifted -34.29% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

At this time, Inter Parfums has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. However, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Inter Parfums has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry Player

Inter Parfums is part of the Zacks Cosmetics industry. Over the past month, Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS - Free Report) , a stock from the same industry, has gained 7%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended September 2023 more than a month ago.

Nu Skin reported revenues of $498.77 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -7.3%. EPS of $0.56 for the same period compares with $0.47 a year ago.

For the current quarter, Nu Skin is expected to post earnings of $0.28 per share, indicating a change of -68.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) for Nu Skin. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of B.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Interparfums, Inc. (IPAR) - free report >>

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NUS) - free report >>

Published in