ArborGen Holdings - Seedling supplier’s long-term future looks green

Reflecting ArborGen Holdings’ (ARB’s) strategic shift to focus on Brazil and the United States, the company reported mixed H123 results: growth from Brazil boosted overall revenues by 61% over the prior comparable period, although US challenges and a higher amortisation charge led normalised operating earnings to fall US$1.2m y-o-y to a loss of US$0.6m. ARB made investments in Brazilian and US nurseries, adding capacity for about 38m seedlings. While H223 could be affected by ongoing inflationary pressures and US yields, ARB’s long-term prospects appear solid, benefiting from recent record Mass Control Pollinated (MCP) cone harvests, capacity expansion and the potential for margin recovery from future price increases and a favourable mix shift. We are reviewing our estimates.