Bunzl (LSE:BNZL) shares have typically been seen a lifeboat for traders in troubled occasions.

With its exhaustive line of on a regular basis important merchandise — assume meals packaging, medical gloves and cleansing sprays, to provide a short flavour — and huge publicity to defensive markets, the FTSE 100 firm’s has supplied sometimes resilience throughout turbulent occasions. It additionally provides merchandise throughout North America, Europe and Asia, which helps earnings with safety from localised points.

But it surely’d be a mistake to recommend earnings are invulnerable to broader financial circumstances. Certainly, Bunzl’s share price has tanked 27.6% on Wednesday (16 April) after warning that financial uncertainty means full-year gross sales and margins will fall under forecasts.

So what’s occurring on the help companies large? And may traders take into account shopping for Bunzl shares on the dip?

Underlying gross sales down

Resulting from what it described as “a more challenging economic backdrop,” Bunzl introduced that revenues rose 2.6% between October and December at fixed trade charges. Sadly this development was pushed by current acquisitions, as underlying gross sales truly dropped 0.9% 12 months on 12 months.

At precise trade charges, revenues development was even poorer, at 0.8%.

Bunzl stated that “adjusted operating profit was down significantly year on year in the first quarter, reflective of an operating margin decline driven by performance in North America and Continental Europe.”

In North America — a area from which 56% of revenues got here final monetary 12 months — the corporate stated that macroeconomic uncertainty had precipitated revenues and working margins to melt. It famous that margin pressures have notably “amplified challenges specific to our largest business, which primarily services foodservice and grocery customers.”

Steering slashed

The results for Bunzl have been extreme, prompting it to pause a £200m share buyback programme to preserve money (share purchases have totalled £115m to this point).

The corporate has additionally trimmed again its steerage for monetary 2025. It’s now tipping “moderate” income development at fixed currencies, “driven by announced acquisitions and broadly flat underlying revenue.” It had beforehand anticipated to report “robust” gross sales development for the 12 months.

Bunzl added that “group operating margin for the year is expected to be moderately below 8%,” down from 8.3% in monetary 2024. This was predicted to be roughly flat 12 months on 12 months earlier than current buying and selling pressures emerged.

A high dip purchase?

Whereas the size of Bunzl’s issues is fairly startling, may now be time to think about shopping for Bunzl shares on the dip?

Immediately’s price correction means it trades on a ahead price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.1 occasions, a considerable distance under its five-year common P/E of 18 occasions.

Instances are powerful, however Bunzl is a well-run enterprise with an amazing historical past of development. Certainly, its experience within the discipline of acquisitions has led to distinctive long-term earnings development and dividend will increase (shareholder payouts have risen yearly for 32 years).

Having stated that, I’m not planning to purchase Bunzl shares for my very own portfolio. Battening down the hatches and saving money is a prudent thought within the present panorama. However I worry this might have important ramifications for its acquisition budgets — it had dedicated £700m a 12 months by means of to 2027 — and as a consequence its development prospects within the close to time period and past.

With commerce battle dangers escalating, and deflationary headwinds in its markets rising stronger, Bunzl is off my radar for now.