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Investing.com -- Henkel AG (ETR:HNKG) shares rose around 2% Thursday after the German consumer goods company reported better-than-expected second-quarter results.
Henkel posted Q2 group sales growth of 0.9%, just above the 0.8% consensus estimate cited by Jefferies.
In the period, volumes in the Consumer Brands segment declined 1.2% year-on-year, performing slightly better than the consensus estimate of a 1.5% drop.
The group’s operating margin came in at 15.5%, beating expectations of 14.9%, while earnings per share (EPS) stood at €2.81, 4% ahead of consensus.
Henkel’s group sales for the first half of the year fell to €10.4 billion in the January–June period, down from €10.8 billion a year earlier and slightly below the €10.5 billion expected by analysts in a Vara Research poll.
Looking ahead, Henkel raised the lower end of its adjusted EBIT margin forecast to a range of 14.5%–15.5%, up from 14.0%–15.5% previously, citing improved cost efficiencies. This compares with a consensus of 14.7%.
“We ... are well on track to reach or even exceed the savings targeted in Consumer Brands,” said CEO Carsten Knobel.
The company now expects full-year organic sales growth of between 1% and 2%, down from a prior range of 1.5% to 3.5%.
Henkel said its revised guidance reflects the current macroeconomic headwinds and incorporates the foreseeable effects of global tariff agreements.
"While sales guidance is cut, this was largely expected & remains aligned with consensus levels," Jefferies analyst David Hayes said in a note. "The full-year margin guide is more confident, with cost saves still building faster than planned."