French spirits group Pernod Ricard said on Thursday it was cutting its full-year profit growth outlook for 2019-2020 as the coronavirus epidemic in China was likely to have a severe impact on its third quarter performance.

Pernod Ricard, which makes 10% of its sales in China, said it could not currently predict the duration and impact of the crisis but added that it nevertheless remained confident on its overall corporate strategy.

Pernod, the world’s second-biggest spirits group after the U.K.’s Diageo DGE, +0.28%, said operating profit from recurring operations would grow between 2% to 4% this year, down from the 5% to 7% it previously predicted, because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Night clubs and night bars are all closed in China and those bars and restaurants that are not closed are empty," Chairman and CEO Alexandre Ricard told Reuters.

Ricard, whose third quarter runs to the end of March, said the safety of 2,000 employees in China was a priority for the group, which had re-opened its offices on Feb.10 after a week-long closure. Staff could work from home and those who wanted to return to work were wearing masks.

Pernod Ricard is assuming a gradual recovery in bars and restaurants from March in China, its second largest market after the United States, and a return to normal in June, with a recovery in March in spirits sales from stores.

"Our mid-term ambition remains intact. Fundamentals in China are extremely solid," Ricard said.

China accounts for around 10% of sales at Pernod Ricard, which has been banking on a growing middle class and young population to grow sales at a high single digit to low double digit rate, after 21% sales growth there last year.

受疫情影响，保乐力加下调盈利预期

由于中国新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情的蔓延，法国烈酒巨头保乐力加于2月14日宣布，其第三季度(截至三月底)业绩受到严重影响，并下调了2019-2020年度的利润增长预期。

保乐力加是仅次于帝亚吉欧的全球第二大烈酒集团。该集团表示，目前无法预测危机的持续时间和影响，但仍然对公司的整体战略充满信心。

受中国市场疫情影响，该集团预计在截至2019年6月30日的年度中实现经常性运营利润2%-4 %%的有机增长，低于此前5%-7%的盈利预期。

该公司董事长兼首席执行官Alexandre Ricard表示:“受疫情影响，中国的夜总会和酒吧大部分都闭店停业。”

Ricard表示，中国2,000名员工的安全是该集团的重中之重。该集团的中国机构于2月10日恢复办公。工作人员可以在家工作，而那些愿意重返工作岗位的人则戴口罩办公。

保乐力加预计中国的酒吧和餐厅将从3月开始逐步复苏，6月回归正常，3月零售店的烈酒销售将逐步恢复。

中国是其仅次于美国的第二大市场， “我们的中期目标仍然不变。中国的基本面非常扎实。”

中国市场约占保乐力加总销售额的10%，该集团一直依靠不断增长的中产阶级和年轻人口来实现高单位数到低两位数的增长，2019年其在中国市场的销售额增长了21%。

原载于 路透社

编译 徐菲远

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