Groupe Beneteau: 2021 guidance upwards and diversification into new business lines

by Groupé Beneteau 29 Jul 2021 22:31 NZST

2021 guidance upwards and diversification into new business lines © Groupe Beneteau

Thanks to the positive trends for the boat and outdoor accommodation markets, and the performance of its two divisions, Groupe Beneteau is once again raising its full-year revenue and income from ordinary operations guidance for 2021.

Acceleration of order book growth to €1,800m (+55%) at end-June
Group first-half revenues up +3.4% on a reported basis (+5.1% at constant exchange rates) despite the impact of cyberattack
Outlook revised upwards for business and income from ordinary operations for 2021
Creation with PPF of the global yacht charter leader and expansion of the Group's activities through minority interests acquired in various boat charter companies, boat clubs and marinas to further strengthen the Group's expertise in new boating practices

The Group is now forecasting full-year revenue growth of over 7% on a reported basis for 2021 (over 6% for the Boat Division and 15% for the Housing Division), compared with +2% previously. This robust performance includes the negative impacts of the cyberattack at the start of the year.

This growth is benefiting strongly from the progress with income from ordinary operations, which is expected to more than double this year compared with the 2020 pro-forma figure of €27.5m, with this progress even more significant as it is set against a global context of pressure on prices for raw materials, certain components and international transport.

Groupe Beneteau is also benefiting from the first effects of the overhead reduction and restructuring measures decided on in 2020.

The global order book* at end-June came to €1,800m, up +55% based on reported data compared with the end of June 2020.

For the Boat Division, the growth in orders reflects the robust development of all the brands and the market segments that the Group operates in, with the exception of the charter market.

For the Housing Division, the order book has continued to be supported by growth on export markets and particularly the Benelux region.

The Group's revenues at end-June (€658.8m) are up +3.4% based on reported data and +5.1% at constant exchange rates. Excluding fleets, the Boat Division's revenues are up +14.3% based on reported data.

*Invoiced since the start of the year and to be delivered in FY 2021 and beyond

Development in the yacht charter, boat club and marina sectors

Groupe Beneteau is delighted to announce three strategic investments that will support its future development in Europe and North America, extending its business lines and building closer connections with its customers, complementing its distribution networks. This development is aligned with the rationale behind the Let's Go Beyond! plan presented in July 2020.

Yacht charter

On the one hand, Groupe Beneteau is joining forces with PPF, Central Europe's leading private group, to enter the yacht charter sector, together acquiring an 87% interest in Dream Yacht Group (alongside its longstanding shareholders NextStage, Fountaine-Pajot and the management team, led by Loic Bonnet) and a 50% stake in Navigare Yachting, alongside its founders and manager, Jesper Rönngard.

With a fleet of over 1,200 boats, these two companies together will form the world number 1 in this very promising sector, whose fundamentals are still particularly sound, driven by the sharing economy, facilitating access to boating.

This alliance will also make it possible to create a major platform combining the digital and distribution activities of Dream Yacht Group (SamBoat, Vent de mer, LateSail, Argos, Albatros) and the Groupe Beneteau's digital arm (BandOfBoats, Digital Nautic).

Groupe Beneteau will hold around 41% of this joint venture.

Boat clubs and marinas

On the other hand, Groupe Beneteau has acquired a 40% interest in Your Boat Club, a North American company operating in the boat club and marina sector.

A boat club enables its members, through membership fees, to regularly charter boats, generally motor boats, for a few hours or a day. This business has been developed extensively in North America.

Your Boat Club owns and manages 24 clubs, including seven marinas, and has plans for a major development program over the coming years. For this operation, the Group joined forces with its founders and managers, Luke Kujawa and Michael Jellish.

These investments represent a combined total of around €40m for Groupe Beneteau.

"Following a difficult year, we really feel that the sky is clearing and that the combination of favorable market conditions and the in-house measures rolled out will deliver impacts more quickly than we expected even a year ago. With our diversification investments, we are delighted and proud of this development for Groupe Beneteau, which is announcing a change of scale. These new prospects are fascinating and further strengthen our position as a global boat market leader", confirms Jérôme de Metz, Groupe Beneteau Chairman and CEO.

Revenues at end-June 2021