Zydus Wellness rallied on the Comfort Click deal. Has the excitement faded?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Shares of Zydus Wellness Ltd were trading near ₹403 when the company announced the acquisition of UK-based Comfort Click Ltd for about ₹2,380 crore on 29 August. The market initially welcomed the deal, pushing the stock to an all-time high of ₹530.90 on 19 September.
Since then, however, the rally has faded, with the stock cooling off to around ₹424—almost back to its pre-deal levels. That raises a key question: was this acquisition sound capital allocation, or was the market’s early enthusiasm misplaced? Comfort Click operates in the vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) segment, a natural extension of Zydus’ existing wellness portfolio. Zydus already has a strong presence in nutrition and wellness through brands such as Sugar Free, Complan, RiteBite Max Protein and Nutralite.
Structurally, VMS is a faster-growing category globally than traditional FMCG. The acquisition gives Zydus direct exposure to the UK, European Union, and the US markets, reducing its reliance on India while creating a global wellness platform. Comfort Click’s business model is also digital-first, asset-light and direct-to-consumer, with a strong e-commerce presence.
From a profitability standpoint, Comfort Click operates at an Ebitda margin of about 16%, higher than Zydus Wellness’ current margin of 13-14%. The business was acquired at roughly 11.4x EV/Ebitda, a valuation that appears reasonable for a fast-growing, digital wellness platform operating in developed markets. On that count, the acquisition does not appear to reflect an overpayment for growth.
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