Proactive Investors - THG PLC (LON:THG) tumbled 16% after it reported increased operating losses after taking a £26.2 million charge reflecting the exit of loss-making discontinued categories and non-core assets.
The Manchester-based e-commerce firm said in the six months to 30 June 2023, revenue fell 9.3% to £969.3 million from £1.07 billion the year before.
While it generated record Nutrition revenue of £340.7 million, up 2.6%, Beauty revenue fell 10.4% to £538.7 million and Ingenuity revenue slipped 14.9% to £320.0 million.
On the plus side, underlying earnings (EBITDA) from continuing operations of £50.1 million jumped 22.9% from £40.8 million last year, above the top end of guidance which THG had put at £47 million to £50 million, at a margin of 5.3%, up from 4.0%.
The FTSE 250-listed firm left adjusted EBITDA guidance unchanged for the full year.
But operating losses increased to £99.5 million from £89.2 million.
Adjusted EBITDA leapt 72% in its Nutrition arm to £47.1 million but fell back in Beauty to £10.6 million from £17.7 million, impacted by one-off industry de-stocking in manufacturing.
But encouragingly, since the start of August, the Beauty division has returned to growth, the company said, with other second-half events including the acquisition of City AM newspaper which was revealed for a price of £1.5 million.
Chief executive Matthew Moulding commented: “Inflationary pressures provided significant challenges to consumers and businesses alike over the past 18 months.”
But he thinks the “strategy of supporting our consumers through 2022, sacrificing margins in the short-term, is bearing fruit”.