The result shows the company’s resilience as it balances pressure from its Quorn segment with steady gains in its Asia-Pacific branded food operations.
The maker of Lucky Me! instant noodles also saw consolidated revenue rise 3.5 percent to P63.3 billion.
Monde cautious ahead of fourth quarter
“Our [Asia-Pacific Branded Food and Beverage] business delivered modest topline growth in the third quarter, supported by volume growth in biscuits and other categories,” said Monde CEO Henry Soesanto.
“Our strong start to October, with record domestic sales, is encouraging; however, we remain cautious given the uncertainties ahead in the fourth quarter,” he added.
The unit, which includes its popular biscuit and noodle lines, saw sales climb 4.4 percent to P53.3 billion, while domestic revenue rose 5.2 percent.
Margins were squeezed by higher edible oil prices, but Monde said price adjustments and reformulation are starting to deliver improvements.
Easing strain from meat alternatives
In the Meat Alternative segment, which includes Quorn Foods, sales slipped 3.9 percent for the nine months but gross profit rose 15.2 percent to P2.5 billion as transformation measures took effect.
Gross margin jumped over 500 basis points in the third quarter on lower input costs and efficiency gains. “We are encouraged by the continued easing of year-on-year declines and the significant gross margin improvement this quarter, which expanded by over 500 bps year-on-year,” Soesanto said.
Analysts’ view
AP Securities research analyst Cholo Miguel Ramirez said Monde Nissin’s results show how exposure to volatile commodity prices continues to weigh on margins.
But he also noted that improvements in the Meat Alternative business are helping cushion some of the weakness in its Asia-Pacific food segment.
AP Securities is recommending a “cautious buy” with a target price of P9.61 each.
Monde declares dividends
The board also declared a P0.16-per-share cash dividend payable on January 7, 2026.
This is equivalent to almost P2.9 billion.
The company’s shares tumbled 4.55 percent to P6.30 each, touching a new 52-week low, data from the stock exchange showed.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
