Briscoe Group (BGP) / FY25

PBT down 19% on 203bp margin compression as homeware profit nearly halved

Revenue held flat but gross-margin erosion, a capex step-up to NZ$56.5m, and a higher tax rate cut NPAT 28% and drove a 39% final dividend cut.

Release date
12 March 2025
Published
21 April 2026

What changed

Revenue was essentially flat at NZ$791.5m (-0.1%), but profitability deteriorated at every line. Gross margin compressed 203bps to 40.37%, operating profit fell 17.3% to NZ$104.4m, PBT fell 18.9% to NZ$95.1m, and NPAT fell 28.0% to NZ$60.6m. The NPAT-versus-PBT gap reflects a tax distortion: the effective tax rate rose to 36.2% from 28.2%, so PBT is the cleaner operating read.

Segment disclosure shows the damage was concentrated in Homeware, where segment result fell to NZ$26.4m from NZ$47.6m on near-identical revenue of NZ$489.8m. Sporting Goods was broadly stable (NZ$31.2m versus NZ$31.5m prior).

Cash and capital allocation also turned. Operating cash flow fell 11.0% to NZ$109.7m, capex stepped up sharply to NZ$56.5m from NZ$13.6m, pre-lease free cash flow more than halved to NZ$53.2m, and the cash balance dropped NZ$33.0m to NZ$142.4m. The group remains debt-free. The final dividend was cut 39.4% to 10.0 cps from 16.5 cps.

What matters

  • Homeware margin, not revenue, is the story. With group revenue flat and Sporting Goods profit steady, essentially all of the ~NZ$22m PBT decline sits in Homeware, where the inferred NPAT margin fell from ~9.7% to ~5.4%. The supplied materials do not quantify the driver of the 203bp gross-margin drop.
  • Capital intensity has reset higher. Capex at 7.1% of revenue compares with 1.7% prior. That alone explains the collapse in FCF conversion to 87.8% of NPAT from 130.3%, and is the primary reason cash fell NZ$33.0m despite no dividend-from-capacity issue on an NPAT basis.
  • Dividend signal. The 39.4% cut in the final dividend is larger than the 28.0% NPAT decline, implying the payout ratio on the declared component has been rebased lower rather than simply tracking earnings. ROE fell to 19.7% from 27.5%.

Expectations

No forward-work, forward revenue, or earnings target was disclosed, so there is no management-set benchmark to evaluate the result against. Shape context is limited to HY25, which contributed 46.9% of full-year revenue and 48.3% of full-year NPAT — a modestly second-half-weighted year, in line with typical retail seasonality. Half-on-half, implied H2 NPAT was NZ$31.3m versus NZ$29.3m in H1, suggesting no acceleration of the margin pressure into the second half but no clean recovery either. The release does not support a view on FY26 trajectory.

Quality of result

The operating deterioration looks durable rather than timing-driven. Gross margin compression of 203bps on flat sales is a pricing/mix effect, not a working-capital or one-off item, and no non-recurring adjustments were disclosed. Inventory days improved modestly (46 from 48), and receivables remain immaterial at under one day of revenue, so working capital did not flatter earnings or cash.

Cash conversion at the OCF line held up reasonably (OCF fell 11% versus PBT -19%), but the reported cash decline is driven by a genuine capex step-up rather than by earnings quality. The higher effective tax rate (36.2%) is the single largest reason NPAT understates the operating decline; if it normalises, reported NPAT growth could look better than underlying without any operational improvement.

Unresolved

  • What drove the 203bp gross-margin contraction — input costs, promotional intensity, or mix within Homeware? The release does not break this down.
  • What is the NZ$56.5m of capex funding (store refurbishment, new format, distribution, technology), and is this a one-year step-up or a new run-rate?
  • Why did the effective tax rate jump to 36.2%, and is it one-off or a new baseline?
  • Is the dividend rebase a through-cycle signal about sustainable earnings power, or calibrated to preserve cash through the capex cycle?

This briefing cannot assess valuation, management commentary on trading conditions, or the specific nature of the FY25 capex programme, none of which were provided in the supplied materials.

Key metrics

← Swipe to view more
Metric FY25 FY24 Change
Revenue $791.5m $792.0m -0.1% ↓
Net profit after tax $60.6m $84.2m -28.0% ↓
Net cash inflow from operating activities $109.7m $123.3m -11.0% ↓
Final dividend per share 10.0c 16.5c -39.4% ↓
Operating profit $104.4m $126.3m -17.3% ↓
Profit before tax $95.1m $117.3m -18.9% ↓
Cash and cash equivalents $142.4m $175.4m -18.8% ↓
Total assets $692.5m $721.2m -4.0% ↓

Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bgp-fy25

Segment breakdown

← Swipe to view more
Segment Current revenue Prior revenue Current result Mix shift
Homeware $489.8m $490.1m $26.4m 0.0pp
Sporting goods $301.7m $301.8m $31.2m +0.0pp

Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bgp-fy25

Analytical metrics

← Swipe to view more
Metric FY25 FY24 Context
PBT growth -18.9% cleaner earnings measure
Effective tax rate 36.2% 28.2%
FCF pre-lease $53.2m $109.7m −$56.5m
FCF / NPAT 87.8% 130.3% complementary conversion metric
Capex % revenue 7.1% 1.7%
Capex $56.5m −$13.6m +$70.0m
Debtor days 0.8 0.7 +0.1 days
Inventory days 46.0 48.3 -2.4 days
Trade debtors $1.6m $1.5m +$0.1m
Net debt −$142.4m −$175.4m +$33.0m
Gross borrowings $0.0m $0.0m +$0.0m
Payout ratio vs NPAT 36.8%
Payout ratio vs FCF pre-lease 41.9% covered
ROE (annualised) 19.7% 27.5% Weakening
HY25 share of FY25 revenue 46.9% Other half was 53.1%
HY25 share of FY25 NPAT 48.3% Other half was 51.7%
Profit from continuing operations $60.6m $84.2m −$23.6m

Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/bgp-fy25


This analysis was generated using Annolyse, an AI-powered tool that analyses NZX/ASX 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.

Metric context

Trajectory before this result

A compact view of the company's recent revenue and margin path, derived from the same metrics history that powers the company page.

BGP revenue trajectory

Revenue context before the current result.

BGP EBITDA margin

Earnings margin across covered periods.

Appendix

Reference material

Company materials considered in this briefing.

Current period

BGP - FY Jan 2025 Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Report

FY25 / financial report

BGP - FY Jan 2025 Results Announcement

FY25 / results announcement

BGP - FY Jan 2025 Results Commentary

FY25 / results release

Prior comparable period

BGP - FY Jan 2024 Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Report

FY24 / financial report

BGP - FY Jan 2024 Results Announcement

FY24 / results announcement

BGP - FY Jan 2024 Results Commentary

FY24 / results release

Interim context

HY July 2025 Financial Statements

HY25 / financial report

HY July 2025 Results Announcement

HY25 / results announcement

HY July 2025 Results Commentary

HY25 / results release

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