By Aimee Look
Henkel's organic sales rose in the first quarter, while the maker of Schwarzkopf and Persil is on an acquisition blitz.
The German chemical and consumer-goods company booked 4.95 billion euros ($5.82 billion) in sales for the first three months of the year, up 1.7% on an organic basis compared with the same period last year.
Median analysts' expectations had 4.89 billion euros in sales, according to company-compiled figures. Median analyst expectations had 1% in organic sales growth.
The company has been on a spree of acquisitions this year, recently agreeing to buy U.S. premium shampoo company Olaplex Holdings. Before then, it bought hair-care brand Not Your Mother's and coatings company Stahl, and is undertaking a broader acquisition strategy.
Henkel is seeking to add volume and premium products to its portfolio, having merged its consumer-goods business into a unit focused on high-growth and high-margin brands. Meanwhile, some of its competitors are also looking to move into the premium personal-care segment. Both Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser have, or are looking to, shed lower-margin brands in favor of premium products.
Henkel backed its full-year expectations and said it expects organic sales growth of between 1.0% and 3.0% for the full year.
Write to Aimee Look at aimee.look@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-07-26 0207ET
