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    Amcor (AMCR)

    AMCR Q4 2025: $260M FY26 Synergies Drive 12% EPS Growth Outlook

    Reported on Aug 14, 2025 (Before Market Open)
    Pre-Earnings Price$9.94Last close (Aug 13, 2025)
    Post-Earnings Price$9.47Open (Aug 14, 2025)
    Price Change
    $-0.47(-4.73%)
    • Successful Integration & Synergy Realization: Management is confident in achieving $260,000,000 in synergies in fiscal '26 and a cumulative $650,000,000 by fiscal '28, supporting an expected 12%-17% EPS growth next year.
    • Focused Portfolio Optimization: The leadership is actively reviewing non-core businesses—including the underperforming North American Beverage segment—to sharpen the focus on high-growth, high-margin packaging and dispensing solutions, which could unlock additional value.
    • Robust Cost Improvement Initiatives: Early integration efforts have led to significant cost reductions through headcount cuts, site closures, and enhanced procurement practices, establishing a leaner operating model that should improve profitability and balance sheet metrics.
    • North American Beverage Underperformance: The business faced significant operational challenges, including higher labor costs, out-of-region freight expenses, and service disruptions during its highest volume quarter, which raises concerns about its ability to turn around performance in the near term.
    • Weak Demand and Volume Softness: Persistent weak consumer sentiment in North America has led to lower volumes despite efforts to manage the cost base, putting pressure on revenue growth and margin performance.
    • Integration and Synergy Risks: The company’s heavy reliance on realizing planned cost synergies (e.g., $260 million in FY '26 and $650 million cumulatively by '28) poses a risk if integration efforts or cost-saving measures fall short or are delayed.
    MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange

    Adjusted EPS

    Q4 2025

    $0.72 to $0.74

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Volume Growth

    Q4 2025

    no improvement anticipated

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Free Cash Flow

    FY 2025

    $900 million to $1 billion

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Leverage

    FY 2025

    3.4x

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Synergies

    FY 2025

    $650 million

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Adjusted EPS ($USD)

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $0.80 to $0.83

    no prior guidance

    Free Cash Flow ($USD Billions)

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $1.8 to $1.9

    no prior guidance

    Capital Expenditures (CapEx)

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $850 to $900

    no prior guidance

    Leverage Ratio

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    3.1 to 3.2 times

    no prior guidance

    Net Interest Expense ($USD Millions)

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $570 to $600

    no prior guidance

    Effective Tax Rate (%)

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    19% to 21%

    no prior guidance

    Synergies from Berry Global Acquisition

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $260

    no prior guidance

    Volume Growth

    FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    Broadly flat volumes

    no prior guidance

    Adjusted EPS ($USD)

    Q1 FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $0.18 to $0.20

    no prior guidance

    Pre-Tax Synergies ($USD Millions)

    Q1 FY 2026

    no prior guidance

    $35 to $40

    no prior guidance

    1. Synergy Timing
      Q: How fast are synergies coming in?
      A: Management expects $260 million in FY26 synergies—with $35–40 million in Q1, then accelerating later—to deliver about 12% EPS growth, reflecting steady progress in cost cuts and procurement initiatives.

    2. Beverage Ops
      Q: Quantify NA beverage operating issues?
      A: The North American beverage unit underperformed by around $20 million due to higher labor, freight, and inefficiencies during peak volume, which management is actively addressing.

    3. Beverage Divestment
      Q: How will the beverage unit be divested?
      A: Management plans to stabilize the underperforming unit over a few quarters before exploring divestment alternatives, always weighing customer support and value creation.

    4. EPS & Volume
      Q: What volume growth supports EPS guidance?
      A: Despite expectations of flat volumes, the firm is targeting 12% EPS growth through cost improvements and synergy realization, leaving revenue largely level.

    5. Procurement Savings
      Q: Impact of divestment on procurement savings?
      A: Management believes that divestment won’t matter because complementary resin buying continues, keeping about 50% of the $650 million synergy target intact.

    6. Berry Accretion
      Q: How accretive is the Berry acquisition?
      A: The acquisition contributes roughly $0.10 per share accretion with EBIT performance mirroring legacy trends, reinforcing overall EPS strength.

    7. Non-core Assets
      Q: What about the $1B non-core portfolio?
      A: The reviewed portfolio, spread across both legacy businesses, is being evaluated based on growth, margins, and scale to decide if strategic alternatives are warranted.

    8. Volume & Pricing
      Q: Why soft volumes despite value pricing?
      A: Soft volumes are driven mainly by muted North American demand, even as best practices in value-based pricing from legacy operations are being implemented to improve margins.

    9. Market Share Trends
      Q: Any market share shifts or destocking?
      A: There have been no significant changes in market share, and observed inventory adjustments are viewed as seasonal or tactical rather than a broad destocking trend.

    10. Inventory Adjustment
      Q: Explain the $133M inventory adjustment?
      A: It’s a one-off purchase price accounting step-up to align inventory with market value, with no recurring impact expected in FY26.

    11. Capital Allocation
      Q: When for buybacks after leverage target?
      A: The focus is on reducing leverage from 3.5x to a target range of 2.5–3x first; only once that’s secured will share buybacks and potential small bolt-on M&A be considered.

    Research analysts covering Amcor.