At a time when Covid-19 infection rates are causing concern again, the current spate of great (perhaps too great) weather is a welcome distraction. It should also be good news for soft drinks firms Nichols (LSE: NICL) and AG Barr (LSE: BAG). Based on their latest updates, I continue to believe these could be among the best stocks to buy now for the ongoing recovery.
“Positive start”
Today’s interim results from Vimto-owner Nichols should provide some comfort to investors. Revenue increased 13.8% to £67.4m over the first six months of 2021, with adjusted pre-tax profit moving almost 32% higher to £8.9m.
Sure, some improvement was expected due to the loosening of restrictions. Even so, news that the company’s Vimto Dilutes range significantly outperformed the UK market between January and June bodes well.
Sales of Vimto have been rebounding overseas too. International growth of 42.3% was recorded compared to the prior year. Sales in regions such as the Middle East (the drink is incredibly popular over Ramadan) appear to have held up well.
And the outlook? Well, Nichols believes that its “positive start” to 2021 should allow it to meet management expectations for the full year. However, I now wonder if the recent weather might lead to a slight increase in guidance next time around.
All told, I’m satisfied with today’s update and would be happy to add to my position today. A good recovery in sales, not to mention a strong balance sheet and solid portfolio of brands (which now includes SLUSH PUPPiE), makes me think this is one of the best stocks to buy now in this space.
“Better than anticipated” trading
Today’s results from Nichols followed hot on the heels of fellow drinks maker AG Barr. Like the former, Barr has had to contend with the shutdown of the hospitality industry over the pandemic. Like Nichols, the company’s now showing signs of recovery.
Yesterday, Barr announced that full-year profit would now likely be ahead of expectations due to “better than anticipated” trading. This helped its previously-sluggish share price to recapture some of its lost mojo.
Again, I think Barr will do well in time and there’s more upside ahead. It’s another quality operator that’s conservatively run. It also has a good number of ‘sticky brands’ such as IRN-BRU, Rubicon and Funkin. So I’m tempted to continue accumulating the shares.
Sales tailwind
As a holder of both stocks, it’s hard for me to sit on the fence when looking at NICL and BAG. Notwithstanding this, I’m encouraged by recent trading. I also suspect the blazingly-hot summer in their home market will prove a tailwind for sales.
This isn’t to say I shouldn’t be careful. Owning multiple companies in the same sector isn’t without risk. Although no lasting damage appears to have been done, the introduction of the sugar tax on soft drinks a few years ago was proof that even the most defensive companies can face challenges.
Going forward, it goes without saying that Delta infection levels may get so bad that some restrictions may need to be re-introduced. This may hamper demand for both product stocks.
So long as I keep my exposure in check by investing elsewhere, I think the reward will be worth it if I bought more now.
