Motilal Oswal MF Sells ₹621.6-cr Zomato Shares in Block Deal

Mutual Fund Sells $80 Million Worth of Zomato Shares

Source and Citation: Originally reported by ET Bureau in the Economic Times on January 16, 2024.

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Analysis for Layman

Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund executed a substantial block deal, selling 45 million shares of the leading Indian food delivery platform Zomato on the National Stock Exchange at Rs 138.15 per share. The total sale amounted to approximately $80 million. Reports indicate that foreign institutional investors, including Societe Generale, Citi, and Morgan Stanley, were buyers. This significant block deal might suggest diminished confidence in the short-term prospects of Zomato, despite its strong growth and current category leadership. Concerns linger regarding the path to profitability, and such large share sales can impact the company’s valuations. Following this trade, Zomato’s share price experienced a 4% decline.

Impact on Retail Investors

For retail investors, transactions of this magnitude underscore the inherent volatility associated with growth-oriented tech stocks characterized by high valuations but unproven economics. Such share sales by speculative institutional investors can swiftly shift sentiment, even for leading performers like Zomato. Retail investors are advised to manage their positions prudently, avoiding overallocation based solely on historical revenue growth if profitability remains elusive. While Zomato and its peers, like Swiggy, continue to be long-term compounders due to consistent industry leadership and market share gains, near-term turbulence demands a robust risk tolerance.

Impact on Industries

The block sale indicates emerging critical perspectives on the economics of Indian food delivery services. Although Zomato and Swiggy have secured a strong user base in urban areas, questions persist about the sustainability of growth driven by discounts and incentives to attract customers and restaurants. Global economic slowdown adds to market concerns. However, online food ordering penetration in India is still low compared to more developed markets, such as the US. While valuations may face pressure, established players can leverage operational scale and optimized cost structures to attain profitability over the long term. Deeply funded rivals like Swiggy are unlikely to retreat from aggressive discounting easily, considering the relative infancy of the category. Investors and analysts will closely monitor Zomato’s expense reduction efforts in the coming quarters while tracking order volume and revenue growth trajectory.

Long Term Benefits & Negatives

Despite uncertainties surrounding Zomato’s path to profitability, the long-term opportunity remains significant, driven by India’s growing middle class with disposable incomes and a shift towards digital convenience. Leading food delivery apps, including Zomato, are expected to continue capturing market share, with competitors struggling to match their spending capabilities. Zomato’s first-mover advantage, brand equity, and integration into the restaurant/user ecosystem position it favorably. Once growth stabilizes and Zomato achieves maturity at significant scale, the potential to generate high-margin recurring software/service revenues becomes apparent. However, the path to profitability remains unclear, and ongoing global economic challenges may extend cash burn timelines. Innovations from smaller disruptors could also impact current valuations, explaining the polarized opinions among institutional investors.

Short Term Benefits & Negatives

In the near term, skepticism persists regarding the capital-intensive customer acquisition costs faced by Zomato and Swiggy. Potential pullbacks on promotional offers to appease shareholders could temporarily slow growth and order volumes, leading to valuation declines in the current skittish global environment. However, optimists point to cases like Amazon, which took nearly a decade to achieve profitability. India’s underpenetrated food delivery market offers substantial growth potential, and dominant platforms like Zomato and Swiggy may accelerate market capture. Despite the risks of unprofitability in the current startup climate, category leaders’ medium-term outlook seems constructive, driven by the large total addressable market, shifts in consumer behavior, and competitive advantages. Investors must be prepared for ongoing volatility surrounding cash burn and the tradeoff between growth and profitability.

Companies Potentially Impacted by Motilal Oswal’s Zomato Sell-Off

Indian Companies:

Potentially Impacted Negatively:

Zomato: Motilal Oswal’s large block sale puts downward pressure on Zomato’s stock price, potentially leading to short-term volatility. Investor sentiment may turn cautious amidst concerns about profit booking and potential overvaluation.
Other Online Food Delivery Platforms: Swiggy and Zomato are the major players in the Indian market. Negative sentiment towards Zomato could spill over and impact Swiggy’s stock price, especially if investors consider the broader online food delivery sector less attractive.
New-Age Tech Companies: Zomato belongs to the new-age tech sector, known for higher valuations and volatility. This specific sell-off may not directly impact other companies like Nykaa or Paytm, but it could raise concerns about overall investor sentiment towards the sector.

Potentially Impacted Positively:

Restaurant Chains: Increased focus on cost-cutting by Zomato could potentially benefit restaurant chains through lower platform fees or more favorable delivery contracts.
Other Consumer Discretionary Companies: If the Zomato sell-off reflects broader profit-taking in the market, it may lead to temporary correction in high-valued consumer discretionary stocks like Inox Leisure or Titan Company, offering potential entry points for long-term investors.

Global Companies: