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Shares Small Cap

SkyCity’s Earnings are Returning as Restrictions Ease

Business Strategy & Outlook:   

SkyCity to deliver strong earnings growth over the next decade, buoyed by the recovery from current coronavirus-induced lows and solid performance from its core assets in Auckland and Adelaide. SkyCity’s Auckland and Adelaide properties underpin the firm’s narrow economic moat. SkyCity is the monopoly operator in both jurisdictions, with long-dated licenses (exclusive license for Auckland expires in 2048, and Adelaide license expires in 2085 with exclusivity guaranteed until 2035). These properties have performed strongly, thanks to SkyCity’s solid record of reinvestment, resulting in high property quality, stable visitor growth, and earnings resilience. The quality of these assets, particularly SkyCity Auckland, has helped build the firm’s VIP gaming business. 

SkyCity’s exposure to the volatile VIP gaming market is smaller than that of Australian rivals Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment. VIP revenue typically represents over 20% of Crown’s and Star’s sales, compared with SkyCity’s typical 10%-15%. While high rollers have no alternatives when in Auckland or Adelaide, SkyCity effectively competes as a destination casino on a global scale against locations such as The Star in Sydney and Crown Melbourne. The VIP gaming will be a negligible share of revenue in fiscal 2021 amid border closures. However, the segment recovered as border restrictions ease and tourism recovers, to around 15% of revenue. To protect its competitive position and retain appeal, SkyCity is investing in its key properties. Successful execution of the two major projects in Auckland and Adelaide is key. They provide good earnings accretion opportunities, in particular at the core Auckland property. This includes a NZD 750 million upgrade to SkyCity Auckland to be completed by calendar 2025 and a AUD 330 million expansion for SkyCity Adelaide, a transformational project completed in fiscal 2021. Beyond 2025, when these expansion projects come on line in full, SkyCity Entertainment is expected to resume generating excess returns and revert to a strongly cash-generating business on a substantially stepped-up earnings base.

Financial Strengths:  

Despite near-term earnings weakness, SkyCity’s balance sheet remains robust, bolstered by a NZD 230 million capital raise completed at the end of fiscal 2020 and extensions to new and existing debt facilities. The firm received covenant waivers for the first half of fiscal 2022, given earnings weakness, and second-half gearing covenants are to be tested at double second-half EBITDA (rather than for the full year) with a higher testing threshold. While the higher threshold was undisclosed, the forecasted second-half net debt/EBITDA to rise to around 3.0–above the firm’s target range of 2.0 to 2.5, but comfortably below estimated covenant levels of closer to 5.0. The net debt/EBITDA is forecasted below 2.0 in fiscal 2023–below the target range of around 2.0 to 2.5. The completion of the NZD 330 million Adelaide expansion in fiscal 2021 takes some pressure off cash flows, and of the further NZD 500 million in capital expenditure flagged for the NZICC project, around NZD 380 million will be funded by insurance payments to be received following the NZICC fire. SkyCity’s balance sheet shall continue to improve over coming years as earnings recover, with net debt/EBITDA dropping below 1.0 in fiscal 2024 as expansionary projects roll off and earnings recover. SkyCity’s balance sheet will have the strength to continue paying around 75% of underlying earnings as dividends, while still being able to fund expansion projects at Auckland in the meantime.

Bulls Say: 

  • Long-dated exclusive licenses to operate the only casino in Auckland and Adelaide allow SkyCity to enjoy economic returns in a regulated environment.
  • Transformative capital expenditure is expected at SkyCity’s Auckland and Adelaide casinos will lead to a sizable step-up in earnings.
  • SkyCity is well positioned to benefit from the emerging middle and upper class in China.

Company Description: 

SkyCity Entertainment operates a number of casino-hotel complexes across Australia and New Zealand. The flagship property is SkyCity Auckland, the holder and operator of an exclusive casino license (expiring in 2048) in New Zealand’s most populous city. The company also owns smaller casinos in Hamilton and Queenstown. In Australia, the company operates SkyCity Adelaide (exclusive license expiring in 2035).

(Source: Morningstar)

DISCLAIMER for General Advice: (This document is for general advice only).

This document is provided by Laverne Securities Pty Ltd T/as Laverne Investing. Laverne Securities Pty Ltd, CAR 001269781 of Laverne Capital Pty Ltd AFSL No. 482937.

The material in this document may contain general advice or recommendations which, while believed to be accurate at the time of publication, are not appropriate for all persons or accounts. This document does not purport to contain all the information that a prospective investor may require.  The material contained in this document does not take into consideration an investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, investors should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to the investor’s objectives, financial situation, and needs. The material contained in this document is for sales purposes. The material contained in this document is for information purposes only and is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation with respect to the subscription for, purchase or sale of securities or financial products and neither or anything in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. This document should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment and recipients should seek independent advice.

The material in this document has been obtained from sources believed to be true but neither Laverne and Banyan Tree nor its associates make any recommendation or warranty concerning the accuracy or reliability or completeness of the information or the performance of the companies referred to in this document. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Any opinions and or recommendations expressed in this material are subject to change without notice and, Laverne and Banyan Tree are not under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. References made to third parties are based on information believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed as being accurate.

Laverne and Banyan Tree and its respective officers may have an interest in the securities or derivatives of any entities referred to in this material. Laverne and Banyan Tree do and seek to do business with companies that are the subject of its research reports. The analyst(s) hereby certify that all the views expressed in this report accurately reflect their personal views about the subject investment theme and/or company securities.

Although every attempt has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the document, liability for any errors or omissions (except any statutory liability which cannot be excluded) is specifically excluded by Laverne and Banyan Tree, its associates, officers, directors, employees, and agents.  Except for any liability which cannot be excluded, Laverne and Banyan Tree, its directors, employees and agents accept no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage of any kind, direct or indirect, arising out of the use of all or any part of this material.  Recipients of this document agree in advance that Laverne and Banyan Tree are not liable to recipients in any matters whatsoever otherwise; recipients should disregard, destroy or delete this document. All information is correct at the time of publication. Laverne and Banyan Tree do not guarantee reliability and accuracy of the material contained in this document and are not liable for any unintentional errors in the document.

The securities of any company(ies) mentioned in this document may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to all categories of investors. This document is provided to the recipient only and is not to be distributed to third parties without the prior consent of Laverne and Banyan Tree.

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Daily Report Financial Markets

European Market Outlook – 16 June 2022

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Daily Report Financial Markets

Shanghai Market Outlook – 16 June 2022

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Daily Report Financial Markets

Indian Market Outlook – 16 June 2022

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Daily Report

Morning Report Global Markets Update – 16 June 2022

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Daily Report Financial Markets

Australian Market Outlook – 16 June 2022

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Japan Market Outlook – 16 June 2022

Categories
Technology Stocks

HP’s Markets Are Declining Despite Growth Initiatives and It Doesn’t Have a Moat

Business Strategy & Outlook

The HP to remain a leader in the personal computer and printing markets but these markets are facing challenging long-term growth prospects. Industry shifts toward using mobile devices as computer supplements or replacements and fewer printing tasks being performed for economic and environmental reasons may create headwinds for HP. The HP’s growth initiatives will expand its market share within the PC and printing industries as consolidation occurs, but the cost competitiveness among the remaining vendors to limit potential upside. The personal computer purchases will contract as more households primarily use smartphones for computing tasks and as cloud-based software upgrades can delay the impetus to upgrade computer hardware. HP’s personal systems business, containing notebooks, desktops, and workstations, yields a narrow operating margin that one cannot foresee expanding. The company’s growth focus areas of device-as-a-service, or DaaS, and expanding its gaming and premium product offerings should help stem losses from its core expertise of selling basic computer systems. Contractual service offerings like HP’s DaaS are alluring to businesses since IT teams can offload hardware management, receive analytics to proactively mitigate computer issues, and pay monthly instead of facing unpredictable large capital expenditures.

HP’s push toward contractual managed print services, in additional to focusing on graphics, A3, and 3D printers are moves in the correct direction, but the overarching trend of lower printing demand should stymie revenue growth within printing. HP is combating the challenge of lower-cost generic ink and toner alternatives in the marketplace. The company is innovating in a mature market, but the competitors can mimic HP’s successes or cause price disruption. HP’s scale may enable success within the 3D printing market; even though HP is a late entrant, its movement into printing metals could cause customer adoption. The printing market is the overall trend of screen reading replacing printed pages, and one cannot believe HP’s initiatives can offset the macro trend.

Financial Strengths

The HP’s solid balance of cash and equivalents and its ability to generate free cash flow as indicators of a financially secure firm. As of the end of the fiscal 2021, the company had $4.3 billion in cash and equivalents and $7.5 billion in total debt. The HP’s leverage to decrease as retained earnings increase and the company pays off debt on schedule. HP spends about 8%-9% of its revenue on SG&A and about 2%-3% of its revenue on R&D, and the expenditure trends to remain consistent. The company’s yearly dividend has increased year-over-year since fiscal 2016, and a modest dividend increase annually. HP has a solid track record of repurchasing shares, and the company will continue to invest in buybacks. Additionally, as part of thwarting Xerox’s 2020 takeover attempt, HP targeted $16 billion in shareholder returns, with the majority being share repurchases. The company’s strategy regarding its pension plan funding is to commit at least the minimum contribution required by the respective local authorities. At the end of fiscal 2020, the defined benefit plans and post-retirement plan were underfunded by $1.6 billion. One cannot see HP’s benefit payment schedule as a hinderance to operations and posit that HP should be able to properly invest in growth opportunities while supporting its benefit plan obligations.

Bulls Say

  • Expected challenges within the printing and PCs markets may be overstated. Enterprises adopting managed print services and Device-as-a-Service over hardware purchases could expand HP’s margins. 
  • HP’s innovation in notebooks and tablets could moderate concerns about a lengthening computer upgrade cycle. With an invigorated brand, HP is making inroads with premium and gaming PC buyers. 
  • Existing 3D and A3 vendors could be disrupted via HP’s scale. HP’s 3D materials open platform could make HP the preferred choice while offering A3 products opens up a $55 billion market.

Company Description

HP Incorporated is a leading provider of computers, printers, and printer supplies. The company’s mains segments are personal systems and printing. Its personal systems segment contains notebooks, desktops, and workstations. Its printing segment contains supplies, consumer hardware, and commercial hardware. In 2015, Hewlett-Packard was separated into HP Incorporated and Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the Palo Alto, California-based HP Incorporated sells on a global scale.

(Source: Morningstar)

DISCLAIMER for General Advice: (This document is for general advice only).

This document is provided by Laverne Securities Pty Ltd T/as Laverne Investing. Laverne Securities Pty Ltd, CAR 001269781 of Laverne Capital Pty Ltd AFSL No. 482937.

The material in this document may contain general advice or recommendations which, while believed to be accurate at the time of publication, are not appropriate for all persons or accounts. This document does not purport to contain all the information that a prospective investor may require.  The material contained in this document does not take into consideration an investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, investors should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to the investor’s objectives, financial situation, and needs. The material contained in this document is for sales purposes. The material contained in this document is for information purposes only and is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation with respect to the subscription for, purchase or sale of securities or financial products and neither or anything in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. This document should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment and recipients should seek independent advice.

The material in this document has been obtained from sources believed to be true but neither Laverne and Banyan Tree nor its associates make any recommendation or warranty concerning the accuracy or reliability or completeness of the information or the performance of the companies referred to in this document. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Any opinions and or recommendations expressed in this material are subject to change without notice and, Laverne and Banyan Tree are not under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. References made to third parties are based on information believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed as being accurate.

Laverne and Banyan Tree and its respective officers may have an interest in the securities or derivatives of any entities referred to in this material. Laverne and Banyan Tree do and seek to do business with companies that are the subject of its research reports. The analyst(s) hereby certify that all the views expressed in this report accurately reflect their personal views about the subject investment theme and/or company securities.

Although every attempt has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the document, liability for any errors or omissions (except any statutory liability which cannot be excluded) is specifically excluded by Laverne and Banyan Tree, its associates, officers, directors, employees, and agents.  Except for any liability which cannot be excluded, Laverne and Banyan Tree, its directors, employees and agents accept no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage of any kind, direct or indirect, arising out of the use of all or any part of this material.  Recipients of this document agree in advance that Laverne and Banyan Tree are not liable to recipients in any matters whatsoever otherwise; recipients should disregard, destroy or delete this document. All information is correct at the time of publication. Laverne and Banyan Tree do not guarantee reliability and accuracy of the material contained in this document and are not liable for any unintentional errors in the document.

The securities of any company(ies) mentioned in this document may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to all categories of investors. This document is provided to the recipient only and is not to be distributed to third parties without the prior consent of Laverne and Banyan Tree.

Categories
Dividend Stocks

Campbell Soup Co aims to realize around $1 billion in savings through fiscal 2025

Business Strategy and Outlook

To say CEO Mark Clouse’s three-year tenure heading up Campbell Soup has been fraught with change might be considered an understatement. Since January 2019, Campbell has parted ways with its fresh business and the bulk of its international operations and worked to steady its core meals, beverages, and snacking arms, while navigating a global pandemic. But it doesn’t attribute its recent performance (14% consumption growth on a three-year stack basis) as merely a by-product of heightened consumer stock-ups of essential fare since March 2020. Rather, it’s likely, management’s strategic agenda–anchored in funnelling additional investment across its operations–fuelled by its pursuit of extracting inefficiencies has set Campbell on a sound course. And while much consternation rightly centres on how the business is poised to emerge in a post-COVID-19 world, it is held the steps that had been underway to steady the business and to juice its sales trajectory before the pandemic should serve as a springboard against a more normalized demand environment. 

Campbell is also battling unrelenting raw material inflation (which management now anticipates will prove a double-digit percentage hit in fiscal 2022), though it’s not sitting still. As a means to offset these pressures, Campbell is raising prices across its mix (with its third round of pricing set to hit shelves in August). Further, the firm aims to realize around $1 billion in savings through fiscal 2025 (up from $850 million by the end of fiscal 2022), with a focus on reducing complexity, investing in automation, and optimizing its supply chain and manufacturing network, which strikes us as achievable. But despite these near-term pressures, it’s unsurmised brand spending will contract. Rather, management has suggested its intent to funnel a portion of any savings realized behind its brand mix (in the form of both R&D as well as marketing), supporting the intangible asset that underpins its wide moat. This aligns with foreseeable calling for research, development, and marketing to edge up to 7% of sales over the next 10 years (or about $650 million annually), above the 6% expended the past three years on average ($500 million).

Financial Strength

It is unlikely that a lack of financial flexibility will encumber Campbell’s prospects against the current backdrop, with free cash flow as a percentage of sales amounting to 9% in fiscal 2021. Even though Campbell opted to raise $1 billion in 10- and 30-year bonds in April 2020, the firm has been making good on its commitment to lower its debt balance, with net debt/adjusted EBITDA standing at 2.6 times at the end of fiscal 2021, down from 4.9 times at the end of fiscal 2019 and 3 times when the books closed on fiscal 2020. From analyst’s viewpoint, after hitting its leverage targets, Campbell could be warming to a deal, though it is alleged that its aims are likely anchored in smaller, bolt-on tie-ups (as opposed to larger, transformational deals that could shoulder it with an increased debt load once again). In this context, management’s rhetoric suggests that it isn’t angling for an acquisition that would compromise its ability to reinvest in its business. Further, a mid-single-digit growth in its dividend each year over expert’s forecast, with its dividend pay-out holding around 50% of earnings on average annually (currently yielding around 3%), is expected. It is also foreseen Campbell will repurchase around 2% of shares on average each year, which is likely to be prudent use of cash when shares trade at a discount to analyst’s assessment of intrinsic value.

Bulls Say’s

  • Removing excess costs should afford Campbell the fuel to invest in its brands, nearly one dozen of which generate more than $100 million in sales each year. 
  • Campbell’s innovation focus (leveraging technology, data insights, and artificial intelligence to aid its efforts to bring consumer-valued new products to the shelf in a timely fashion) is attracting new consumers to the aisle and its product mix. 
  • About half of Campbell’s sales result from the faster growing on-trend snack aisle, which stands to offset more muted long-term prospects for the mature soup category.

Company Profile 

With a history that dates back around 150 years, Campbell Soup is now a leading manufacturer and marketer of branded convenience food products, most notably soup. The firm’s product assortment includes well-known brands like Campbell’s, Pace, Prego, Swanson, V8, and Pepperidge Farm. Following the sale of its international snacking operations, which wrapped in calendar 2019, the firm derives nearly all of its sales from its home turf. Campbell has made a handful of acquisitions to reshape its product mix the past few years, including the tie-up with Snyder’s-Lance (completed in March 2018), which enhances its exposure to the faster-growing on-trend snack food aisle, complementing its Pepperidge Farm line-up. 

(Source: MorningStar)

DISCLAIMER for General Advice: (This document is for general advice only).

This document is provided by Laverne Securities Pty Ltd T/as Laverne Investing. Laverne Securities Pty Ltd, CAR 001269781 of Laverne Capital Pty Ltd AFSL No. 482937.

The material in this document may contain general advice or recommendations which, while believed to be accurate at the time of publication, are not appropriate for all persons or accounts. This document does not purport to contain all the information that a prospective investor may require.  The material contained in this document does not take into consideration an investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, investors should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to the investor’s objectives, financial situation, and needs. The material contained in this document is for sales purposes. The material contained in this document is for information purposes only and is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation with respect to the subscription for, purchase or sale of securities or financial products and neither or anything in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. This document should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment and recipients should seek independent advice.

The material in this document has been obtained from sources believed to be true but neither Laverne and Banyan Tree nor its associates make any recommendation or warranty concerning the accuracy or reliability or completeness of the information or the performance of the companies referred to in this document. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Any opinions and or recommendations expressed in this material are subject to change without notice and, Laverne and Banyan Tree are not under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. References made to third parties are based on information believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed as being accurate.

Laverne and Banyan Tree and its respective officers may have an interest in the securities or derivatives of any entities referred to in this material. Laverne and Banyan Tree do and seek to do, business with companies that are the subject of its research reports. The analyst(s) hereby certify that all the views expressed in this report accurately reflect their personal views about the subject investment theme and/or company securities.

Although every attempt has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the document, liability for any errors or omissions (except any statutory liability which cannot be excluded) is specifically excluded by Laverne and Banyan Tree, its associates, officers, directors, employees, and agents.  Except for any liability which cannot be excluded, Laverne and Banyan Tree, its directors, employees and agents accept no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage of any kind, direct or indirect, arising out of the use of all or any part of this material.  Recipients of this document agree in advance that Laverne and Banyan Tree are not liable to recipients in any matters whatsoever otherwise; recipients should disregard, destroy or delete this document. All information is correct at the time of publication. Laverne and Banyan Tree do not guarantee reliability and accuracy of the material contained in this document and is not liable for any unintentional errors in the document.

The securities of any company(ies) mentioned in this document may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to all categories of investors. This document is provided to the recipient only and is not to be distributed to third parties without the prior consent of Laverne and Banyan Tree.

Categories
Technology Stocks

Chewy has been well-positioned to benefit from explosive e-commerce growth in the category–en route to high-40% online market share in 2021

Business Strategy and Outlook

The pet care industry is quite attractive, with brand loyalty, sticky purchase habits, pet humanization, and minimal cyclicality representing just a handful of alluring structural features in a $119 billion U.S. market (per Packaged Facts). While a slew of players jockey for upstream (manufacturing) and downstream (retail) market share, Chewy’s service-intensive subscription-driven platform looks poised to capture a disproportionate share of online sales, with the firm building a strong brand around customer service and perceived quality.

Chewy was founded with the intention of outcompeting wide-moat Amazon for online pre-eminence in a category that was rife with inefficiencies and saw only low-single-digit online penetration at the time. By emphasizing the labour-intensive aspects of the business model that its largest competitor intentionally eschewed (building out an army of dedicated customer service representatives whose principal qualification was their love of pets), the firm amassed a loyal customer base, with robust auto ship penetration and strengthening monetization over time, generating net revenue retention of over 100% for each annual cohort. The firm’s 72% auto ship penetration, a subscription-based model that pet consumables lend themselves to particularly nicely, defrays fulfilment cost pressures relative to large peers, given that a high degree of order predictability renders inventory management markedly easier, reducing split shipments.

With a digital native platform, expansion into adjacent sales layers in pet healthcare (filling prescriptions, offering telehealth services, partnering with veterinarians through “Practice Hub,” and offering pet wellness and insurance plans in conjunction with TransUnion), Chewy has been well-positioned to benefit from explosive e-commerce growth in the category–en route to high-40% online market share in 2021, by analyst’s estimates. With the expansion of higher-margin private label product, pet healthcare, and increasingly valuable maturing cohorts, Chewy looks poised to continue its leadership well into the future, in a category with 30% online penetration and no apparent glass ceiling for e-commerce saturation.

Financial Strength

With no long-term debt and $605 million in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet at the end of the first quarter of 2022, it is assessed Chewy’s financial position to be strong. The firm also maintains access to a $500 million credit facility with a $300 million extender. Consistent with many high-growth e-commerce names, Chewy has elected to fund its growth entirely with internally generated funds and proceeds from equity issuances, freeing the company from the constraints of debt covenants and the restrictions on corporate actions that those often carry. While it is encouraged for the firm to optimize its capital structure with the addition of leverage longer term (lowering its WACC and expanding its frontier of net present value (NPV) positive projects), it is understandable, management’s reluctant approach given the company’s stage in its life cycle. The firm’s investment priorities strike us as reasonable–investing in expanded fulfilment centre (FC) capabilities, with $20 million in buildout costs adding an incremental $750 million to $1 billion in sales capacity (for automated centres), retrofitting existing traditional FCs, and continuing to invest in platform development and ease of use. Though Chewy’s free cash flow, or FCF, generation (with FCF clocking averaging less than 1% of sales through 2024) doesn’t afford a ton of flexibility, it offers the leeway to make fulfilment centre investments without necessitating a costly capital raise, and should see the firm through the leaner years of profitability during its high-growth phase. As margins (and free cash flow generation) expand over time, it is alleged shareholder returns to find their way onto management’s agenda, with CEO Sumit Singh and company likely to favour share repurchases, in analyst’s view, for the flexibility they offer (given the signalling properties of dividends). Analyst’s forecast anticipates share repurchases as soon as 2024, accelerating through 2031 as Chewy approaches mid-to-high-single-digit operating margins.

Bulls Say’s

  • E-commerce penetration should continue to increase in the category, favouring digital native players like Chewy.
  • Chewy’s subscription-based model (72% auto ship penetration) should help it retain the bulk of the customers it has added since the onset of COVID-19.
  • With two thirds of Chewy’s customer base also boasting Amazon Prime memberships, it is probed that pressure from the e-commerce behemoth could prove less onerous than many expect.

Company Profile

Chewy is the largest e-commerce pet care retailer in the U.S., generating $8.9 billion in 2021 sales across pet food, treats, hard goods, and pharmacy categories. The firm was founded in 2011, acquired by PetSmart in 2017, and tapped public markets as a standalone company in 2019, after spending a couple of years developing under the aegis of the pet superstore chain. The firm generates sales from pet food, treats, over-the-counter medications, medical prescription fulfilment, and hard goods, like crates, leashes, and bowls.

(Source: MorningStar)

DISCLAIMER for General Advice: (This document is for general advice only).

This document is provided by Laverne Securities Pty Ltd T/as Laverne Investing. Laverne Securities Pty Ltd, CAR 001269781 of Laverne Capital Pty Ltd AFSL No. 482937.

The material in this document may contain general advice or recommendations which, while believed to be accurate at the time of publication, are not appropriate for all persons or accounts. This document does not purport to contain all the information that a prospective investor may require.  The material contained in this document does not take into consideration an investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, investors should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to the investor’s objectives, financial situation, and needs. The material contained in this document is for sales purposes. The material contained in this document is for information purposes only and is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation with respect to the subscription for, purchase or sale of securities or financial products and neither or anything in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. This document should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment and recipients should seek independent advice.

The material in this document has been obtained from sources believed to be true but neither Laverne and Banyan Tree nor its associates make any recommendation or warranty concerning the accuracy or reliability or completeness of the information or the performance of the companies referred to in this document. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Any opinions and or recommendations expressed in this material are subject to change without notice and, Laverne and Banyan Tree are not under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. References made to third parties are based on information believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed as being accurate.

Laverne and Banyan Tree and its respective officers may have an interest in the securities or derivatives of any entities referred to in this material. Laverne and Banyan Tree do and seek to do, business with companies that are the subject of its research reports. The analyst(s) hereby certify that all the views expressed in this report accurately reflect their personal views about the subject investment theme and/or company securities.

Although every attempt has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the document, liability for any errors or omissions (except any statutory liability which cannot be excluded) is specifically excluded by Laverne and Banyan Tree, its associates, officers, directors, employees, and agents.  Except for any liability which cannot be excluded, Laverne and Banyan Tree, its directors, employees and agents accept no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage of any kind, direct or indirect, arising out of the use of all or any part of this material.  Recipients of this document agree in advance that Laverne and Banyan Tree are not liable to recipients in any matters whatsoever otherwise; recipients should disregard, destroy or delete this document. All information is correct at the time of publication. Laverne and Banyan Tree do not guarantee reliability and accuracy of the material contained in this document and is not liable for any unintentional errors in the document.

The securities of any company(ies) mentioned in this document may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to all categories of investors. This document is provided to the recipient only and is not to be distributed to third parties without the prior consent of Laverne and Banyan Tree.