Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) reported fourth-quarter and full-year results Wednesday that showed a reasonably healthy top line, but more gross margin pressure than we had expected. Our fair value estimate remains intact.
Margin pressure from higher promotional spending was a bit of a surprise, as we'd seen this trend begin to taper off in the third quarter at other household product firms. With fewer cost savings to provide an offset, gross margins declined 80 basis points from the year-ago quarter, to 61.5%. Operating profits were hit by an acquisition-related charge for SSL International of £101 million, keeping profits essentially flat with the same period last year. On an adjusted basis, operating profits increased 13.0% in constant currency as did net income.
Reflecting what we are seeing across the household product industry, Reckitt's performance diverged sharply between mature markets and emerging markets during the quarter. Sales in Europe declined 1.0% from the year-ago period, while North America and Australia increased a low 2.0%. Developing markets posted a strong 18.0% increase in sales from the same period last year. Reckitt is also benefiting handsomely from slower-than-anticipated encroachment on its Suboxone business, which no longer enjoys patent protection. The company has also smartly introduced sublingual film, which is a preferred alternative distribution method to the Suboxone tablet that is patent-protected and helping prevent accelerated erosion of this business.
Overall, the results were about what we had expected, and management's guidance of 4.0% like-for-like sales growth and 10.0% adjusted net income growth seem reasonable, but investors are accustomed to superior results from Reckitt and have typically accorded the shares a premium multiple. While we will be updating our model to incorporate management's expectations for 2011, we think the shares currently appear to be modestly undervalued.