Growth strong for Nestlé in Oceania

Nestlé has released the results for the first nine months of 2020 with the Oceania sector having strong growth over that time.
“Nestlé has remained resilient in a difficult and volatile environment. Our people have acted in a responsible and prompt manner to mitigate the impact of the global pandemic and have adapted quickly to evolving consumer needs. Strong organic growth was broad based and supported by sustained momentum in the Americas, Purina PetCare and Nestlé Health Science, as well as the acceleration of our coffee business in the third quarter,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO.
“We continue to develop our portfolio with speed and discipline. As an example, we are transforming Nestlé Health Science into a nutrition and health powerhouse through a combination of strong organic growth and targeted acquisitions. The recent additions of Zenpep, Vital Proteins and Aimmune Therapeutics are further steps in the expansion of our nutritional health offerings.”
Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa (AOA)
Organic growth was flat, with RIG of -0.2 per cent and pricing of 0.2 per cent. Foreign exchange reduced sales by 6.7 per cent. Reported sales in Zone AOA decreased by 6.7 per cent to CHF15.3 billion. Organic growth in the Zone reached 4.5 per cent in the third quarter.
China saw negative growth, turning positive in the third quarter. Coffee, culinary and ice cream all delivered positive growth, with sequential quarterly improvements. The contraction in Wyeth infant formula sales continued to moderate. The roll-out of the locally produced Belsol brand is on track. Infant cereals and Purina PetCare both grew at a double-digit rate. Nestlé Professional reported a sales decrease, with growth recovering to almost flat in the third quarter. Strong momentum in e-commerce continued, driven by Nescafé, Starbucks products and dairy.
South-East Asia maintained mid single-digit growth. Sales in the Philippines grew at a double-digit rate, with elevated consumer demand for Bear Brand, Milo and Maggi. Indonesia delivered high single-digit growth, led by Bear Brand, Dancow and Milo. South Asia continued to perform well. India posted strong mid single-digit growth, with good momentum in Maggi, Nescafé and KitKat. Sub-Saharan Africa grew at a double-digit rate, with strong growth across most markets. Growth in Japan, South Korea and Oceania was slightly positive.
Oceania reported strong growth across most product categories, particularly in coffee and confectionery. Japan saw a decline in sales, with some improvement in the third quarter. KitKat sales declined in Japan, impacted by a reduction of inbound tourists.
By product category, the largest contributions to growth came from dairy, culinary, coffee and Purina PetCare. In coffee, consumer demand for Starbucks products remained strong. Infant nutrition continued to perform well outside of China. Nestlé Professional and confectionery posted negative growth, with improved sales development in the third quarter.
The company expects full-year organic sales growth around 3 per cent. The underlying trading operating profit margin is expected to improve. Underlying earnings per share in constant currency and capital efficiency are expected to increase.