What is the potential effect of these developments on Natura's market share in Latin America versus competitors like L'Oréal and Unilever?
Fundamental outlook
Naturaâs Q2 results show a solid netâincome of BRLâŻ445âŻmillion, buoyed by âcorporate streamliningâ and the imminent sale of Avon International. The divestiture will remove a nonâcore, lowâmargin asset and give the group clearer visibility on the performance of its integrated LatinâAmerican operations (WaveâŻ2). More mature integration of the NaturaâAvon portfolio is already generating positive cash flow and better workingâcapital dynamics, which should free up capital for brandâbuilding, distribution expansion and priceâelasticityâdriven growth in its home markets. In a region where priceâsensitive consumers still dominate, a stronger balance sheet and a focused brand mix give Natura a competitive edge over the premiumâoriented LâOrĂ©al and the broadârange Unilever.
Marketâshare implications
If Natura can sustain the integrationâdriven cash generation and reinvest the proceeds from the Avon sale into higherâmargin, locallyâtailored SKUs, it is likely to accelerate its penetration in Brazil, Colombia and Mexicoâmarkets where LâOrĂ©al and Unilever already have sizable footprints but face higher cost structures. The net effect should be a modest but measurable gain in marketâshare, especially in the âmassâpremiumâ segment where Naturaâs naturalâbeauty positioning resonates most strongly. The competitive response from LâOrĂ©al (e.g., localized product launches) and Unilever (e.g., priceâpromotion cycles) will temper the upside, but Naturaâs improved profitability and cash conversion give it the leeway to outâprice or outâinnovate rivals in the shortâtoâmedium term.
Trading takeâaways
- Bullish catalyst: The Avon divestiture and integration progress act as a catalyst for a priceâreârating of Naturaâs stock. Expect a 5â8âŻ% upside if the market prices in the incremental cash flow and margin expansion.
- Technical bias: The stock is currently in a modest uptrend (midâApril to earlyâMay) with the 20âday SMA holding above the 50âday SMA and volume above the 30âday averageâsuggesting the rally can continue on the next earnings or M&A update.
- Risk: Competitive pressure from LâOrĂ©alâs premium launches and Unileverâs aggressive pricing could cap shareâgain. Keep a stopâloss around 4âŻ% below the recent high and monitor any forwardâlooking guidance on integration costs or further LatinâAmerican acquisitions.
Actionable view: Consider a long position with a target of +7âŻ% over the next 6â8âŻweeks, contingent on a clear update on Avonâs sale timeline and any forwardâlooking guidance on integrationâdriven margin expansion. A partialâscaleâout if LâOrĂ©al or Unilever announces a major regional rollout that could erode Naturaâs incremental marketâshare gains.