Zurich, Jan 21 - Swiss chocolate makers Lindt & Spruengli and Barry Callebaut are seen posting strong sales figures on Tuesday as both benefit from a growing taste for premium-quality products.
Full-year sales at Lindt & Spruengli, whose products include Lindor pralines and gold-wrapped Easter bunnies, are expected to rise 14 percent to 2.95 billion Swiss francs ($2.68 billion), thanks to buoyant demand in the United States and Britain.
"Lindt has revolutionised the chocolate market by bringing European-style premium chocolate, with high cocoa fat content, to the United States and the UK and their sales are booming as a result," said Landsbanki Kepler analyst Jon Cox.
"In addition, it is a very innovative company which launches new products in more mature mainland Europe markets, driving sales," he said.
The group has benefited from increased consumer spending on indulgence foods and has tapped into a growing appetite for premium and dark chocolate, noting strong demand for its Creation 70 Percent and Excellence products.
Analysts expect the group's sales figures to put a stop to the downward trend seen in its shares, which have lost some 15 percent this year amid fears the United States is heading towards a recession.
Lindt & Spruengli has said that a U.S. slowdown was likely to have only a limited impact on the chocolate market.
Some analysts said management could announce a special dividend or a share buyback to improve the sentiment towards the stock.
Meanwhile, shares in Barry Callebaut have shed only around 3.6 percent of the 42 percent gained in 2007 as investors appreciate the company's clear business prospects.
The world's largest chocolate maker is expected to post an 8 percent rise in first-quarter sales to 1.34 billion francs, boosted by a trend among the largest food companies to outsource chocolate production as a result of soaring prices for ingredients.
Barry Callebaut has won contracts from Nestle, Cadbury and Hershey Co. and the group has said this trend looks set to continue.
"Barry Callebaut is also displaying an impressive growth dynamic thanks to the significant outsourcing contracts and will underline this with the first-quarter figures," said ZKB analyst Daniel Buerki.
Last week, cocoa prices climbed to their highest level for more than four years and sugar prices rose to the highest level since December 2006, boosted by fund buying.
Lindt & Spruengli shares are trading at 22.6 times expected 2009 earnings, still at a premium to Barry Callebaut, trading at nearly 15 times, according to Reuters data.