There is a case that is enlivening the Stock Exchange these days and it concerns one of the flagships of Made in Italy: His Majesty the wine. This time, however, he is the champion not only at the table but also on the stock lists: on the AIM segment, where it is listed, the share of the Italian Wine Brands group (which produces, among others, Barolo and Primitivo di Manduria) is truly the financial phenomenon of the moment . In the session of Thursday 24 June it gained more than 5%, and also at the opening of Friday 25th it grew by more than 4% exceeding 40 euros per share, its highest ever. Above all, the Italian wine stock has more than doubled in value since the beginning of 2021, and has more than tripled it in the last 12 months, increasing by 163%. Compared to March 2020, the value has practically quadrupled: it was worth just over 10 euros per share, which was still more or less equal to the IPO price, in January 2015, when it was the first and still only wine group to explore the adventure on the stock exchange.
In short, a boom that began precisely in coincidence with the Covid pandemic, and which was therefore possible thanks to online distribution and diversification. In fact, IWB has a very large portfolio of brands and wineries, from Piedmont to Puglia, and also deals with Food through a selection of gourmet food products, coffee and extra virgin olive oil, including the Terre dei Gigli and Italian Art brands Café. Among the wines, the brands held are Ripa Sotto, Gomera, San Zenone, Oro Perla, Ronco di Sassi, Forte Elerone, Grande Alberone, Grandi Mori, Giordanovini and Santi Nobile. All brands of good international prestige, to the point that some over 60 million bottles sold every year from Italian Wine Brands, 80% are destined abroad. Mainly in the horeca sector (hotels and restaurants), but not only: retail sales, mainly through e-commerce, grow by over one million units every year.
This has meant that the turnover, which was intended to reach 2015 million in 500, has already exceeded 2020 million in 200, up 30% on 2019, with e-commerce registering a +74% . The key to success, however, seems to be that of direct sale to the private customer, the so-called B2C channel, which has dodged Covid and the consequent difficulties for the horeca market, recording growth of 2020% in 21, with peaks of +100% in Switzerland. What will also make investors happy, given that the last shareholders' meeting last April approved a dividend of 0,4 euro per share, after the 0,1 euro one in 2020. The reference shareholders, those with a stake of at least 5% of the total capitalization of almost 900.000 euros, there are four: the English fund Otus Capital Management Ltd with almost 10%, the Provinco srl wine shop with 9%, IPOC Srl with 8,6%, and the equity Praude Asset Management LLC with 6,3%.
