[Click eStock] "Distribution and Food & Beverage, Consumer Sentiment Worsens Amid Martial Law"

On the 13th, Kiwoom Securities warned that the state of martial law and political uncertainty are acting as risk factors for the stock prices of domestic consumer goods companies in the distribution and food and beverage sectors.

Researcher Park Sang-jun stated, "First, overall consumer sentiment may deteriorate," adding, "If the decline in consumer sentiment prolongs, it could reduce the scale of consumer spending and delay the timing of consumption."

He further explained, "This could negatively impact the distribution and food and beverage sectors as a whole, and the more sensitive the business is to the economy, the greater the potential impact on sales decline."

Researcher Park noted, "Physical traffic could sharply decrease," pointing out, "As political protests surge, potential consumers may face difficulties physically accessing key commercial districts."

He also added, "Especially since this situation coincides with the Christmas and year-end party season, it could negatively affect the sales of dining-out businesses and worsen the fundamentals of food material distribution and liquor companies."

He continued, "For example, department stores centered around Myeongdong and Yeouido face concerns over decreased traffic, but due to a rebound in winter clothing demand caused by recent temperature drops, it is expected that December sales will not suffer significant damage," adding, "On the other hand, convenience stores may partially absorb the decline in dining-out demand due to increased traffic in stores located in key commercial areas, but the sales proportion of these stores may not significantly impact overall sales."

He concluded, "If political uncertainty is resolved, a strong rebound in stock prices is expected, especially among companies that experienced significant declines," and added, "Department stores with high economic sensitivity and low valuation levels, as well as food material distribution companies like CJ Freshway, may see strong stock price rebounds."