Smartkarma Daily Briefs

• Williams-Sonoma delivered a mixed result in the recent quarter, with revenues below market expectations, but it managed to surpass the analyst consensus in terms of earnings.
• Williams-Sonoma achieved these outcomes despite a more promotional environment and softer industry metrics by focusing on regular price selling, leveraging the company’s market advantages, enhancing customer service, and managing costs.
• In this report, we have carried out a fundamental analysis of the historical financial statements of the company.

• Intuit Inc. managed to exceed the revenue expectations as well as the earnings expectations of Wall Street.
• The company raised revenue by 13% for the entire year, produced good operating margin growth, and finished the year on a high note.
• Revenue from the desktop environment and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise revenue increased significantly.

• Advance Auto Parts delivered a mixed set of results for the previous quarter with revenues above the analyst consensus.
• Their net sales increased during the quarter.
• During Q2, Advance Auto Parts observed increase in DIY omnichannel and DIFM.

• Eubiologics (206650 KS) recorded 24% YoY revenue growth to KRW31B in 1H23, due to strong export demand of oral cholera vaccine. Operating profit jumped 6x, while net profit surged 3x.
• In May 2023, Eubiologics and its partner have launched Euvichol-Plus in India. With a huge unmet need, Euvichol, an effective cholera vaccine is expected to see strong uptrend in India.
• Eubiologics has signed a technology transfer agreement with DEK Vaccines to enable the domestic production and supply of the cholera vaccine in Ghana. This opens additional revenue stream for Eubiologics.

EMIS reported H123 revenue and adjusted operating profit in line with board expectations. Revenue grew 2% year-on-year and adjusted operating profit was 7% higher, with an adjusted operating margin of 26.9% (+120bp y-o-y). The company closed H123 with net cash of £48.5m. Assuming the takeover of EMIS is not effective prior to 7 October, on 23 October the company will pay an interim dividend of 21.3p to shareholders on the register on 6 October.

• The 9th national VBP has begun. We analyzed the major big varieties with sales over RMB1 billion included in this VBP and the impact on related domestic pharmaceutical companies. 
• “Concept validation” of the business model of Chinese Biotech companies has been completed. Even under enormous pressure of medical insurance fee control policy, drug sales remain a reliable profit model.
• Medlive’s weak share price performance has a reason. The significant profitability increase in 23H1 wasn’t from the improvement of main business. Its business model needs time to be further validated.

• NetApp delivered an all-around beat in the most recent quarterly result.
• The company’s rigorous operational management and the enthusiastic customer response to its innovation continue to yield positive results.
• They are also making strategic purchases in order to lock in significant loan NAND pricing and reduce future price increases.

• NetEase delivered a mixed set of results in the quarter, with revenues well below expectations, but managed an earnings beat.
• Revenues from the Fantasy Westward Journey Saga continued to increase year over year in the quarter, again impressing the industry with this IP’s enduring appeal.
• In the second quarter, Cloud Music’s GP margin increased significantly because of the growth of membership services and ongoing cost-cutting initiatives.

• Royal Bank of Canada managed to exceed analyst expectations in terms of revenue and earnings.
• Revenue increased by 19% to $14.5 billion because of the strength of their diversified business strategy, which delivered revenue growth across all of their businesses.
• In Corporate Banking and Investment Banking, the Royal Bank of Canada kept moving its operations toward globalization and expanded the range of industries and products it served.

Severfield’s AGM statement highlights that FY24 is expected be in line with management expectations and that the quality of the orderbooks – both in the UK and Europe, and India – remains a key support for the future. That said, the outlook for the UK and continental Europe is less robust in the short term than it was due to the impact of high inflation and the rising interest rate cycle. The FY24e P/E rating of c 7x remains comfortably below the long-term average of 10.0x, implying that some risk is discounted in the rating. The stock yields more than 5%.