Full-year results from Compass Group Plc (CPG), reported Wednesday morning, revealed a significantly healthier back half of the year for the food services firm. With operating profit growth outpacing revenue growth, operational improvements continue to be a key focus and our recently increased fair value estimate for the firm's shares remains intact. Total sales at the firm increased 7.6% for the year, with a 2.9% benefit from foreign exchange. Organic sales growth increased 3.2% from last year, when sales were essentially flat compared to fiscal 2008. North America and Compass' emerging market Rest of World segment delivered healthy organic sales growth of 5.8% and 6.1% compared to the prior year. Management sees the most potential for expansion in the United States market, given receptivity to outsourcing and the infrastructure already in place, but developing markets should offer robust revenue growth with significant margin improvement opportunity over time. Offsetting these strong revenue gains were declines in the United Kingdom and Ireland of 3.3% from last year (reflecting at least a slower rate of decline from the 5.7% decrease in the segments' first-half results), and flat year-over-year sales in Europe. Excluding the impact of currency, operating profits increased 10.1% to just over 1.0 billion pounds, and operating margins were up 40 basis points to 6.9% for the year, with improvement in all of Compass' regions. Overall results point to a modest rebound in the company's business, which is no small achievement given current economic conditions.
Lauren DeSanto is an equity analyst with Morningstar.