FastforwardtotodayandWhitbreadhadendedupbeingkindofforcedbyanactivistinvestorintosplittingcostoutas a business.
SowhileWhitbreadpubliclytradedcost a coffeearenotsotheideaisCostaCoffeewillbecome a separatestumbleonbusiness, potentiallytobepubliclytradedonthestockmarket. 00:00:58.670 --> 00:01:6.420 ButwhatendeduphappeningisdeadisthatWhitbreadhaveagreedtosellittoCocaColaforWhitbreadpointofview, thisisprettygreatnews. 00:01:6.430 --> 00:01:13.930 Theyhavesolditforanenormousamountmorethantheypaidforit, aswellas, uh, whatseemslike a veryrichvaluation.
Sotypically, whenvaluingthecompany, weuse a metriccalled a bitdark, whichstandsforearningsbeforeinterest, tax, ation, depreciationandamortization.
It's a prettystandardizedwayofmeasuringtheprofitabilityofthecompanyon D.
Whateverthatnumberis, youmightthenadd a multipletoittocreateevaluation.
Companiesthathavelargepotentialforgrowthtendtoattracthighermultiplicationszehighermultiplesoffthatevendyenumberinthiscasecost A soldfor 16.4 times.
It's a bitdark, whichis a staggeringlyhighvaluation.
Andso, whilecost A mayhavecloseto 4000 cafesaroundtheworld, nowthatisstill a very, veryhealthyevaluationofthatcompany.
Whatmakesthatmoresurprisingisthatcost A as a businessactuallyisn't doingallthatwell. 00:01:59.170 --> 00:02:2.920 Ithasbeencontinuingtogrow, butmostlythroughnewstoreopenings. 00:02:3.110 --> 00:02:6.310 It's likeforlikesaleshavebeenflatoractuallyonthedecline. 00:02:6.630 --> 00:02:10.470 Soas a cafebusinessdefinitelydoesn't lookthathealthy.
WhyisthisinterestingtoCocaCola?
SoColadoesn't reallyhave a strongcoffeebrandthatit's portfoliosoffitsbrandsandproductsoutthere.
I thinkeightbrands, I suppose, wouldbeconnectedtocoffeeinsomeway.
Butthere's nothingthatis a solid, stronglycoffeefocusbrandforthem.
Andsoforthemtoget a coffeebrandthatissufficientlywidelyacceptedthattheycouldstarttoputthatbrandineveryCocaColavendingmachineandhaveitmovedthat?
I thinkthat's a reallystrategyforthem.
Sothedeal, I thinkwe'llgothroughearly, 2019 and I wouldsayveryquicklyafterthat, I thinkwe'regonnastarttosee a lotofCostareadytodrink, Bottled, canned.
I don't knowexactlywhat I'lldo, butthatformatthat's gonnabeeverywhere, andthat's notreallyanyparticularinsightfromme. 00:03:54.400 --> 00:04:3.180 They'vepubliclystatedthatthisisunquestionablygoingtobetheirplan, sotheybought a brandthatgivesthemaccessto a marketthroughwhichtheyalreadyhavethedistributionnetwork. 00:04:3.310 --> 00:04:6.080 It's a sensibleplaycolor. 00:04:6.080 --> 00:04:20.420 I guessnowthatwe'veprovenasanindustrythatreadytodrinkcoffeeis a categorythat's growing, there's meaningfulthatit's valuableandthereisheretostaynowasanaddendumtothis, I didmake a videoatthestartoftheyear.
Talkingaboutsomepredictionsononeofthemwasthatcostumewouldmake a splayintospecialty.
I stillthinkthatmayhappen.
Like I said, thestoresthemselvesarenotdoingthatwell.
They'restrugglinginthismarket, andsotheydefinitelyneedsomesortofinjectionofsomethingintothestoresintotheirintotheirretailbricksandmortarofferingtomakethatbusinessthrive a littlebitmorethanitis.
As I said, delightfullakesarein a badplacerightnow, andtheydefinitelyknowtheymustneedtomake a change.
Whatthatwillbe.
I stilldon't know. 00:04:52.640 --> 00:05:2.820 But I wouldsayit's stillreasonablylikely, regardlessofwhotheparentcompanyis, whethertheparentcompanyisisinterestedinhotelsorinterestedinsoftdrinks. 00:05:3.190 --> 00:05:5.450 ForAcosta, theproblemremainsthesame. 00:05:6.140 --> 00:05:8.160 Theiraudienceisnotgrowingthewaytheywantitto. 00:05:8.920 --> 00:05:10.870 Sothere's myinsight.
There's mythoughtsonthisdealannouncedtoday.
I wouldlovetohearyourthoughtsinthecommentsdownbelow.