Newell Brands Inc. NWL appears well-poised for growth on the back of its robust business strategies. Management has been evaluating opportunities to optimize the category mix and drive growth within each business unit. NWL’s recently introduced corporate strategy is also quite encouraging.
In the past three months, shares of this manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products company have risen 34% against the industry’s 0.5% decline.
More on Newell’s Strategic Efforts
The company has been executing its new corporate strategy, which aims at disproportionately investing in innovation, brand-building and go-to-market excellence across its profitable brands and markets. It also focuses on achieving standardization and scale efficiencies within the supply-chain and back-office functions. Since the introduction of the new strategy, the company has witnessed improvement in the rate of core sales growth sequentially for five consecutive quarters.
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In addition, the company has transitioned into a new operating model, designed to accelerate the new strategy by driving organizational effectiveness and agility apart from developing a high-performing and innovative culture. The Learning & Development unit registered core sales growth for the third consecutive time in the reported quarter, on increases in the Baby businesses. Newell has been making progress in its business development, enhancing its brand's distribution across the new and present retailers. Its International business continues to be a key growth driver.
Newell’s organizational realignment is likely to strengthen its front-end commercial capabilities, including consumer understanding and brand communication. Apart from improving accountability, the Realignment Plan will unlock operational efficiencies and cost savings, lower complexity and free up funds for reinvestment.
Newell has been strengthening its front-end commercial capabilities through consumer-driven innovations. The company will continue to make brand investments and 360-degree support for new MPP HPP propositions, comprising Graco's SmartSense Soothing Bassinet and Swing, which detects and responds to babies’ cries in seconds with a suing sound in motion.
Further, Mr. Coffee Perfect Brew is Newell’s highly-advanced coffeemaker to aid home brewers make barista-quality beverages at home. This latest pot-free coffeemaker comes with intelligent technology to automatically adjust brew time, temperature and water . It has also rolled out a food-safe handheld Plus machine. This is the first-to-market cordless handheld and countertop vacuum sealer with unique versatility. Such innovations are likely to bolster sales and overall profitability.
Bumps in NWL’s Growth Trajectory
The company has been struggling with sluggishness in its Outdoor & Recreation segment for a while now. In the third quarter of 2024, the segment’s net sales declined 20.8% year over year and core sales fell 16.8%.
In addition, Newell has been witnessing a challenging macroeconomic environment. Unfavorable foreign currency impacts and muted demand for discretionary products also remain concerns. Consequently, net sales declined 4.9% year over year in the third quarter due to lower core sales, the impacts of business exits and adverse foreign exchange. The company’s overall core sales fell 1.7% year over year.
For the fourth quarter, net sales are envisioned to dip in the band of 4-7% year over year, with core sales anticipated to drop 2-5%, mainly owing to adverse foreign currency. The company expects normalized operating margin to be in the range of 7-7.7% for the quarter, with higher SG&A expenses in both dollars and as a percentage of sales. For the final quarter of 2024, the company expects normalized EPS to be in the range of 11-14 cents, down from 22 cents earned in the year-earlier quarter.
Conclusion
Newell’s aforesaid strategies will continue to deliver growth ahead. To boost growth, the company has made several organizational design changes, including setting up a cross-functional brand-management organization, realigning business unit finance to wholly aid the global brand management model and simplifying the regional go-to-market organizations, as well as unifying the domestic retail sales teams, business-aligned accounting personnel, the manufacturing quality team and the human resources functions into the center-led teams to boost standardization and scale with a One Newell approach.
NWL's Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Presently, Newell carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks have been discussed below:
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Vital Farms VITL, which provides pasture-raised products, currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. The consensus estimate for Vital Farms’ current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 27.3% and 88.1%, respectively, from the prior-year levels.
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McCormick & Company MKC, marketer and distributor of spices, seasonings and specialty foods, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). MKC has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 13.8%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MKC’s current financial-year sales and EPS indicates growth of 0.6% and 8.2%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.
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