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Investing.com -- Bunzl (LON:BNZL) shares fell more than 6% on Monday despite the company reporting full-year 2024 results that aligned with market expectations.
Investors reacted negatively to the update, even though the company maintained its outlook for 2025 and continued its share buyback program.
According to analysts at RBC Capital Markets, Bunzl’s revenue trends showed some improvement in the latter half of the year, supported by slight volume growth and a minor easing of deflationary pressures.
Reported revenue rose by 3.1%, largely due to acquisitions, though underlying sales declined as a result of product deflation in developed markets.
The company’s operating margin expanded slightly, benefiting from cost efficiency measures that helped counterbalance inflationary pressures on wages and property costs.
However, concerns remain over trading conditions in key regions. While the Rest of the World and UK & Ireland showed solid profit growth, North America saw minimal expansion, and Central Europe experienced a decline.
Bunzl’s acquisition of catering equipment supplier Nisbets in May 2024 also faced challenges, with soft market conditions and supply chain disruptions weighing on performance earlier in the year.
RBC analysts noted that while the company’s track record of consistent growth and its acquisition-driven model remain intact, sentiment around the stock remains neutral.