Table of Contents
What changed
Revenue was essentially flat at NZ$12.2M (-0.6% on HY25's NZ$12.3M), but earnings stepped up sharply down the P&L: EBITDA rose 38.0% to NZ$2.1M, PBT rose 74.1% to NZ$1.2M, and NPAT rose 93.6% to NZ$0.85M. Operating cash flow swung to NZ$1.87M from NZ$0.33M in HY25, while capex fell to NZ$0.12M from NZ$0.73M (the PY included NZ$0.62M of intangibles acquisition). Cash rose to NZ$5.65M and the group continues to report no debt, with equity up 15.6% to NZ$10.72M. Segment mix is unchanged — New Zealand remains ~99.5% of revenue and effectively all profit; International flipped from a small loss to a small profit on a negligible base.
What matters
- The earnings jump is partly a base effect, not an operating acceleration. The prior period was reduced by ~NZ$221.7K of legal costs defending a single shareholder opposition. That cost rolling off explains a material share of the ~NZ$0.50M PBT uplift on flat revenue, and should be treated as non-recurring rather than structural cost leverage.
- PBT (+74.1%) is the cleaner read than NPAT (+93.6%). The effective tax rate fell to 27.4% from 34.7%, adding roughly 19.6pp to bottom-line growth versus the pre-tax line. Investors benchmarking NPAT growth will overstate the underlying improvement.
- Balance-sheet direction is unambiguously positive. Cash grew NZ$1.2M year-on-year with zero gross debt disclosed, and ROE improved to 7.9% from 4.7%. Capital intensity collapsed (capex/revenue ~0.95% vs 5.9%), which is the single biggest driver of the free-cash-flow swing.
Expectations
No stated targets or forward-work disclosure are provided in the supplied excerpts, so a formal run-rate-to-target assessment is not possible. On shape: HY25 contributed 51.5% of FY25 revenue and only 46.5% of EBITDA, suggesting the first half is modestly revenue-heavy but not earnings-heavy. Annualising HY26 revenue gives ~NZ$24.4M, about 2.3% above FY25's NZ$23.9M, so the top-line run-rate is only marginally ahead of the anchor year despite the profit step-up. FY25 itself was down 22.6% on NPAT and saw total system sales fall 7.6% to NZ$108.2M, so the HY26 result needs to be read against a softer comparable base rather than a recovery trend.
Quality of result
Mixed. The operating-cost improvement from the non-recurring legal cost rolling off is real cash but not repeatable, and roughly a fifth of reported NPAT growth reflects a lower tax rate rather than trading performance. The cash-flow result looks more durable on two counts: operating cash flow reached 87.7% of EBITDA (vs 21.5% in HY25), and working capital helped — inventory days fell to ~9 from ~10 and receivable days were flat at ~30. The capex step-down is the other large swing factor; the PY intangibles spend was lumpy, so HY26 free cash flow of ~NZ$1.75M on a pre-lease basis is not a clean run-rate. Revenue is the weak point: flat-to-down on a base that was already down 1.6%.
Unresolved
- What portion of the NZ$0.58M EBITDA uplift is underlying cost discipline versus the legal-cost base effect, once the ~NZ$0.22M PY charge is isolated?
- Why did the effective tax rate fall so sharply (27.4% vs 34.7%), and is it sustainable into H2?
- The release states "no debt" yet the PY balance-sheet extract shows lease liabilities of ~NZ$21.0M; clarity on the IFRS 16 treatment and the corresponding HY26 lease liability would resolve the apparent inconsistency.
- With NZ segment revenue still declining and FY25 system sales down 7.6%, what is management's plan to restore top-line growth rather than relying on cost base-effects?
- No dividend declaration is disclosed in the supplied data, so capital return intent against the NZ$5.65M cash pile is unclear.
This briefing cannot assess store-level operating KPIs, franchisee economics, or the FY26 outlook because no operational metrics or forward guidance were provided in the extract.
Key metrics
| Metric | HY26 | HY25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $12207.5m | $12278.1m | -0.6% ↓ |
| EBITDA | $2132.9m | $1545.4m | +38.0% ↑ |
| Net profit after tax | $849.6m | $438.7m | +93.6% ↑ |
| Net cash inflow from operating activities | $1869.9m | $332.5m | +462.4% ↑ |
| Operating profit | $1288.1m | $772.5m | +66.7% ↑ |
| Profit before tax | $1169.7m | $672.0m | +74.1% ↑ |
| Cash and cash equivalents | $5650.8m | $4444.8m | +27.1% ↑ |
| Total assets | $33065.1m | $32981.2m | +0.3% ↑ |
Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bfg-hy26
Segment breakdown
| Segment | Current revenue | Prior revenue | Current result | Mix shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $12631.9m | $12769.5m | $1161.1m | +0.1pp |
| International | $58.8m | $76.5m | $8.6m | -0.1pp |
Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bfg-hy26
Analytical metrics
| Metric | HY26 | HY25 | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBT growth | +74.1% | — | cleaner earnings measure |
| Effective tax rate | 27.4% | 34.7% | — |
| OCF / EBITDA (cash conversion) | 87.7% | 21.5% | stable |
| FCF pre-lease | $1753.7m | −$394.2m | +$2147.9m |
| FCF / NPAT | 206.4% | -89.9% | complementary conversion metric |
| Capex % revenue | 0.9% | 5.9% | — |
| Capex | −$116.2m | $726.7m | −$842.9m |
| Debtor days | 30.3 | 30.8 | -0.5 days |
| Inventory days | 9.0 | 10.1 | -1.1 days |
| Operating working capital | $2636.1m | $2760.6m | −$124.4m absorbed |
| Trade debtors | $2033.6m | $2080.2m | −$46.6m |
| Net debt | −$5650.8m | −$4444.8m | −$1206.1m |
| Net debt / EBITDA | -2.65x | -2.88x | Strengthening |
| Gross borrowings | — | $20957.9m | — |
| ROE (annualised) | 7.9% | 4.7% | Strengthening |
| HY25 share of FY25 revenue | 51.5% | — | Other half was 48.5% |
| HY25 share of FY25 EBITDA | 46.5% | — | Other half was 53.5% |
| HY25 share of FY25 NPAT | 42.7% | — | Other half was 57.3% |
Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bfg-hy26
This analysis was generated using Annolyse, an AI-powered tool that analyses NZX company announcements. The analysis is based on available company filings and standard Annolyse calculations. This is general information only and does not constitute financial advice. The analysis may contain errors. Always read the original company filings and consult a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.