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Investing.com -- Bakkavor Group (LON:BAKK) delivered a strong first half of 2025, reporting higher margins, stronger U.S. growth and an upgrade to full-year profit guidance.
Revenue from continuing operations in the U.K. and U.S. rose 0.9% to £1.08 billion, with like-for-like sales up 1.2%.
Adjusted operating profit climbed 9.8% to £61.5 million, lifting the margin by 50 basis points to 5.7%. Return on invested capital (ROIC) increased to 11.2%.
Statutory operating profit fell to £37.5 million, reflecting £24 million in exceptional costs tied to the planned Greencore acquisition, U.S. site closures and an ERP replacement project.
The U.S. division was the standout, with revenue up 7.6% and margins improving by 260 basis points to 5.9%, making the unit accretive to group profitability.
In the U.K., price recovery supported sales despite planned volume losses from the closure of its Wigan site. Fresh prepared foods saw strong demand, with the category achieving its fastest growth since 2020.
Bakkavor completed its strategic exit from China in July, generating £51 million in proceeds and further reducing leverage, which stood at 1.1x at midyear.
Free cash flow came in at £47.3 million, while adjusted earnings per share rose to 6.4p.
Looking ahead, the company now expects full-year adjusted operating profit toward the upper end of its £120 million to £126 million guidance range. It also brought forward its medium-term margin target of 6% by a year, to 2026.
“The first half of 2025 has seen another strong performance by the Group as we continued delivering on our strategy and driving further margin improvement," said Chief Executive Mike Edwards.
"The business is in great shape, with momentum expected to continue in the second half and deliver towards the upper end of our previously guided FY25 profit range."