• Emperador income rises 18% to P5 B in Jan-Sept

Emperador Inc. posted a net income of P5 billion in the first nine months, up 18 percent year on year.

The company registered record high revenues of P30.5 billion or an increase of 11 percent.

Emperador owns iconic brands Emperador Brandy, Fundador Spanish Brandy de Jerez and the luxury Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Dalmore.

“Our performance is brought about by the sustained growth in international expansion. The premium Scotch whisky business continues to show robust growth led by The Dalmore single malt whisky and innovations. The brandy business continues to perform well as well with greater penetration into North and Latin America. We are organically global,” said Emperador president Winston Co.

Co said the company’s products are available in more than 100 countries and more than 350 cities in the world.

Emperador brandy is now sold in New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Las Vegas.

Next year, the company will start exporting Emperador Hotshot, a cinnamon brandy, to the US to capitalize on the growing popularity of cinnamon whiskey.

Emperador has expanded the international presence of its brand portfolio in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.

Emperador Spain managing director Jorge Domecq said the company has fortified its brandy portfolio to sustain its top position in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines.

“We have introduced a super-premium Brandy de Jerez in Fundador Supremo through travel retail channel in Europe and Asia like Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Korea, etc,” Domecq said.

On the domestic front, Co said the company is focused on reinventing the local liquor space with initiatives geared toward increasing profitability.

Meanwhile, the company has an ongoing buyback of shares of up to P5 billion over a 24-month period that began in May 2017.

The management believes this exercise will enhance shareholder value over time. To date, roughly 211 million shares amounting to P1.5 billion have been bought back.