Back to the complete issue
Monday, 15 August 2022

GB Auto shrugs off auto sector headwinds to post 31% bottom line growth

GB Auto net income up 31% in 2Q despite market challenges: GB Auto shrugged off the multiple headwinds facing the Egyptian automotive sector in 2Q 2022, announcing yesterday that its bottom line grew by almost a third during the quarter thanks to strong consumer demand. The company posted a net income of EGP 490.5 mn during the April-June period, up 31% from 2Q 2021, despite import restrictions, the devaluation of the EGP, and inflation weighing on the sector, the company said in its latest earnings release (pdf). Revenues rose almost 8% to EGP 7.83 bn, which the company attributed to “resilient” demand and “improved pricing strategies.”

Auto revenues stable + NBFS drives growth: Revenues from the auto and auto-related segment rose 1.1% y-o-y to EGP 5.82 bn as an “optimized product portfolio,” an enhanced pricing strategy, and a move to increase inventory levels helped to offset market headwinds. Revenue growth from commercial vehicles and after-sales offset a 6.5% y-o-y fall in passenger car sales and a 33% decline in motorcycle sales. The company’s non-bank financial services arm, GB Capital, saw revenues rise 27% y-o-y to EGP 2.36 bn and doubled its net income to EGP 276.9 mn thanks in part to strong growth at MNT-Halan.

Remember: All is not well in the local car market. The local passenger car market contracted by 33% y-o-y and 32% q-o-q during 2Q due to import restrictions and a slowdown in opening letters of credit (L/Cs), GB Auto said.

Looking ahead: “In the coming period, we will remain focused on maximizing margins on the available inventory and minimizing overheads until the import situation improves,” said CEO Nader Ghabbour. “Challenging conditions are likely to persist for a number of quarters; however, we are confident in our ability to effectively respond to changing dynamics and carry forward with our growth targets once the economic situation improves,” said Ghabbour.


Ibnsina cuts full-year outlook amid challenging conditions: Ibnsina Pharma’s net income fell 48% in 2Q 2022 as the EGP devaluation, rising inflation and supply chain disruptions hit the company’s finances. The company reported a bottom line of EGP 28.4 mn compared to EGP 59 mn in 2Q 2021, while revenues declined 8% to EGP 4.93 bn, according to figures in the company’s latest earnings release (pdf). The company noted that the slide in the EGP against the greenback had a pronounced impact on costs, prompting the company to take steps to curb OPEX growth by “optimizing” expenses including salaries, electricity usage and packing.

ALSO FROM IBNSINA-

The pharma firm’s investment arm AIM is eyeing investments in the logistics and healthcare sectors, with plans to invest in a hospital within two months, Al Borsa reports, without disclosing the size of the investment. AIM has a EGP 280 mn investment budget to make acquisitions in logistics and digital transformation, said co-CEO Mahmoud Abdel Gawad in the earnings release.

Enterprise is a daily publication of Enterprise Ventures LLC, an Egyptian limited liability company (commercial register 83594), and a subsidiary of Inktank Communications. Summaries are intended for guidance only and are provided on an as-is basis; kindly refer to the source article in its original language prior to undertaking any action. Neither Enterprise Ventures nor its staff assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, whether in the form of summaries or analysis. © 2022 Enterprise Ventures LLC.

Enterprise is available without charge thanks to the generous support of HSBC Egypt (tax ID: 204-901-715), the leading corporate and retail lender in Egypt; EFG Hermes (tax ID: 200-178-385), the leading financial services corporation in frontier emerging markets; SODIC (tax ID: 212-168-002), a leading Egyptian real estate developer; SomaBay (tax ID: 204-903-300), our Red Sea holiday partner; Infinity (tax ID: 474-939-359), the ultimate way to power cities, industries, and homes directly from nature right here in Egypt; CIRA (tax ID: 200-069-608), the leading providers of K-12 and higher level education in Egypt; Orascom Construction (tax ID: 229-988-806), the leading construction and engineering company building infrastructure in Egypt and abroad; Moharram & Partners (tax ID: 616-112-459), the leading public policy and government affairs partner; Palm Hills Developments (tax ID: 432-737-014), a leading developer of commercial and residential properties; Mashreq (tax ID: 204-898-862), the MENA region’s leading homegrown personal and digital bank; Industrial Development Group (IDG) (tax ID:266-965-253), the leading builder of industrial parks in Egypt; Hassan Allam Properties (tax ID:  553-096-567), one of Egypt’s most prominent and leading builders; and Saleh, Barsoum & Abdel Aziz (tax ID: 220-002-827), the leading audit, tax and accounting firm in Egypt.