Persil-maker Henkel targets top end of 2026 sales forecast range

By Bartosz Dabrowski and Matthias Inverardi

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Henkel HNKG.DE said on Tuesday its full-year sales could reach the upper end of its recently raised forecast, after the German consumer goods and adhesives maker flagged a positive start to the final quarter of 2026.

"We had a good start to Q4," CEO Carsten Knobel told analysts in a conference call. "Should this continue, we see a good chance of reaching the upper end of our full-year forecast."

Shares in the Persil-maker gained 3.3% by 1115 GMT, after it reaffirmed the 2026 guidance for organic sales growth of 3% to 4% and Knobel said it expected growth also in 2027.

Henkel confirmed its previously reported organic sales growth of 6.5% for the third quarter, including a 7.9% jump at its higher-margin adhesives business. Newly disclosed figures showed 12.1% sales growth in the Mobility & Electronics business area, which is part of the Adhesive Technologies division.

The adhesives business benefits from strong semiconductor and AI-driven electronics demand and improving trends in selected industrial markets, although the broader industrial environment remains uneven.

"We see clear double-digit (percentage) growth in the coming years," finance chief Marco Swoboda said in the conference call, when asked about the prospects for adhesives growth driven by data centres and AI.

M&A ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE

Henkel has completed five acquisitions in 2026 with a combined transaction value of about €5 billion, strengthening both its adhesives and consumer businesses. It has previously said the acquired businesses were expected to contribute around €700 million to sales this year.

Henkel said acquisitions and divestments added 4.4% to group sales in the third quarter, including 6.4% in Consumer Brands and 2.7% in Adhesive Technologies.

"We will continue to be capable of making acquisitions; takeovers remain part of our strategy," Knobel said at a press conference.