Markets.com Logo
euEnglish
LoginSign Up

The Hut Group float & quick take

Aug 27, 2020
4 min read
Table of Contents
  • 1. Is THG a tech company or a retailer?
  • 2. Ingenuity platform – a key growth driver?

The next Ocado or another Aston Martin? Online retail group The Hut Group (THG) plans to float on the London Stock Exchange. This is a major boost for the London market with the £4.5bn tag making this the biggest listing of the year.

A full seven banks/brokers are working on the deal, so good tidings all around the City. But what of the individual investor?

After a considerable ramp in tech valuations this year – eg, Ocado +100% in the last 12 months – this looks like a well-timed move, at least on the part of the founder who is due a bumper £700m payout should all go well and still remain very much in control. The question is whether this 10% margin business deserves a tech rating.

A standard listing makes it ineligible for inclusion on the FTSE index although its mooted market cap would be enough just to make the FTSE 100. Any standard listing raises eyebrows as it means no index inclusion and lower governance standards.

And we note that it’s another banker buffet – four of the same banks from Aston Martin’s listing are on the IPO – Goldman, JPM, HSBC and Numis (in addition to Citigroup, Barclays and Jefferies).

Indeed, Goldman’s Duncan Stewart and Anthony Gutman, named on the THG registration document today, were also down on the Aston Martin registration document in August 2018. Let’s hope THG enjoys a better time on the public markets than AML.

Is THG a tech company or a retailer?

THG describes itself as a ‘vertically integrated digital-first consumer brands group’, retailing its own brands in beauty and nutrition, including Myprotein and Lookfantastic, as well as third-party brands. It does this via a proprietary technology platform dubbed Ingenuity.

The business is divided into three core divisions – Beauty, Nutrition and Ingenuity. Whilst the Beauty and Nutrition brands have delivered strong growth, the real value in the shares may well come from the tech platform.

In 2019 THG achieved year-on-year revenue growth of 24.5% to reach £1.1 billion with adjusted EBITDA of £111.3 million. The float aims to raise £920m and would value the company at £4.5bn, which at c40x last year’s EBITDA and x4 sales doesn’t seem like too much to pay for this kind of growth….or does it?!

The answer rests surely on whether it deserves a techy or a retail multiple. Ocado trades in the region of x300 after an unbelievable rerating – but that is another story altogether. THG growth has accelerated in the first half of 2020, with revenue of £676 million, up 35.8% on the equivalent prior year period…but it’s all coming from the Beauty and Nutrition segments, not Ingenuity.

Ingenuity platform – a key growth driver?

Ingenuity has a capital-light, scalable licensing model that offers good revenue opportunity beyond the core retail division. Management are keen to stress that Ingenuity secured £215 million in life-of-contract revenue in the first six months of the year amid an uptick in demand.

Management view the platform as one of THG’s key growth drivers and as a fully scalable solution available to brands at a time of immense e-commerce growth – direct to consumer (D2C) in particular – it has strong potential. The prospectus outlines a target for overall revenue growth of 20-25% over the medium term, with Ingenuity forecast growth of 40% primarily as a result of increasing mix of e-commerce revenues as global brand owners accelerate their adoption of D2C strategies.

But revenues from Ingenuity remain relatively small – £61m in the first half of 2020, which was flat on last year and less than 10% of total group revenues. As a percentage of group revenues, the contribution from Ingenuity is going down. For the moment it looks like a retailer trying to pass itself off as a tech platform. Ocado has managed to pull this off – can THG?


Risk Warning: this article represents only the author’s views and is for reference only. It does not constitute investment advice or financial guidance, nor does it represent the stance of the Markets.com platform.When considering shares, indices, forex (foreign exchange) and commodities for trading and price predictions, remember that trading CFDs involves a significant degree of risk and could result in capital loss.Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice. Trading cryptocurrency CFDs and spread bets is restricted for all UK retail clients. 

Written by
SHARE

Markets

  • Palladium - Cash

    chartpng

    --

    -1.17%
  • EUR/USD

    chartpng

    --

    -0.12%
  • Cotton

    chartpng

    --

    -0.74%
  • AUD/USD

    chartpng

    --

    -0.49%
  • Santander

    chartpng

    --

    0.16%
  • Apple.svg

    Apple

    chartpng

    --

    -0.02%
  • easyJet

    chartpng

    --

    -0.54%
  • VIXX

    chartpng

    --

    -0.28%
  • Silver

    chartpng

    --

    -2.40%
Table of Contents
  • 1. Is THG a tech company or a retailer?
  • 2. Ingenuity platform – a key growth driver?

Related Articles

ECB Rate Cut Expectations Revised Amid Economic Resilience

Following the ECB's decision to hold interest rates steady, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase revised their expectations for future rate cuts, considering the economic resilience and potential developments in EU-US trade relations.

Liam James|1 day ago

Hedge Funds Advise Buying Protection Against Potential Stock Market Downturn

As U.S. stock markets soar to record highs, firms like Goldman Sachs and Citadel are advising clients to buy relatively inexpensive hedges to protect against potential losses due to a confluence of risks.

Ava Grace|2 days ago

Federal Funds Rate vs. SOFR: Liquidity Measurement Debate in US Financial System

As excess cash in the US financial system shrinks, calls grow to reassess how to measure liquidity tightness and which benchmarks the Fed should target.

Liam James|2 days ago
Markets.com Logo
google playapp storeweb tradertradingView

Contact Us

support@markets.com+12845680155

Markets

  • Forex
  • Shares
  • Commodities
  • Indices
  • Crypto
  • ETFs
  • Bonds

Trading

  • Trading Tools
  • Platform
  • Web Platform
  • App
  • TradingView
  • MT4
  • MT5
  • CFD Trading
  • CFD Asset List
  • Trading Info
  • Trading Conditions
  • Trading Hours
  • Trading Calculators
  • Economic Calendar

Learn

  • News
  • Trading Basics
  • Glossary
  • Webinars
  • Traders' Clinic
  • Education Centre

About

  • Why markets.com
  • Global Offering
  • Our Group
  • Careers
  • FAQs
  • Legal Pack
  • Safety Online
  • Complaints
  • Contact Support
  • Help Centre
  • Sitemap
  • Cookie Disclosure
  • Awards and Media

Promo

  • Gold Festival
  • Crypto Trading
  • marketsClub
  • Welcome Bonus
  • Loyal Bonus
  • Referral Bonus

Partnership

  • Affiliation
  • IB

Follow us on

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Linkedin
  • Threads
  • Tiktok

Listed on

  • 2023 Best Trading Platform Middle East - International Business Magazine
  • 2023 Best Trading Conditions Broker - Forexing.com
  • 2023 Most Trusted Forex Broker - Forexing.com
  • 2023 Most Transparent Broker - AllForexBonus.com
  • 2024 Best Broker for Beginners, United Kingdom - Global Brands Magazine
  • 2024 Best MT4 & MT5 Trading Platform Europe - Brands Review Magazine
  • 2024 Top Research and Education Resources Asia - Global Business and Finance Magazine
  • 2024 Leading CFD Broker Africa - Brands Review Magazine
  • 2024 Best Broker For Beginners LATAM - Global Business and Finance Magazine
  • 2024 Best Mobile Trading App MENA - Brands Review Magazine
  • 2024 Best Outstanding Value Brokerage MENA - Global Business and Finance Magazine
  • 2024 Best Broker for Customer Service MENA - Global Business and Finance Magazine
LegalLegal PackCookie DisclosureSafety Online

Payment
Methods

mastercardvisanetellerskrillwire transferzotapay
The www.markets.com/za/ site is operated by Markets South Africa (Pty) Ltd which is a regulated by the FSCA under license no. 46860 and licensed to operate as an Over The Counter Derivatives Provider (ODP) in terms of the Financial Markets Act no.19 of 2012. Markets South Africa (Pty) Ltd is located at BOUNDARY PLACE 18 RIVONIA ROAD, ILLOVO SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG, 2196, South Africa. 

High Risk Investment Warning: Trading Foreign Exchange (Forex) and Contracts For Difference (CFDs) is highly speculative, carries a high level of risk and is not appropriate for every investor. You may sustain a loss of some or all of your invested capital, therefore, you should not speculate with capital that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin. Please read the full  Risk Disclosure Statement which gives you a more detailed explanation of the risks involved.

For privacy and data protection related complaints please contact us at privacy@markets.com. Please read our PRIVACY POLICY STATEMENT for more information on handling of personal data.

Markets.com operates through the following subsidiaries:

Safecap Investments Limited, which is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (“CySEC”) under license no. 092/08. Safecap is incorporated in the Republic of Cyprus under company number ΗΕ186196.

Markets International Limited is registered  in the Saint Vincent and The Grenadines (“SVG”) under the revised Laws of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines 2009, with registration number  27030 BC 2023.

Close
Close

set cookie

set cookie

We use cookies to do things like offer live chat support and show you content we think you’ll be interested in. If you’re happy with the use of cookies by markets.com, click accept.