L'Oreal Co., the global cosmetics giant, released its first-quarter 2026 financial report on April 23, announcing sales of €12.15 billion. On a comparable basis, this represents a 7.6% year-over-year increase, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of 3-4%. Boosted by this strong performance, the company's stock surged nearly 9% in early Paris trading, marking its strongest single-day performance since November 2008.
The revenue growth was primarily driven by strong contributions from all four of its major business divisions. The Professional Products division delivered the most outstanding performance, with comparable growth reaching 13.1% after adjustments. The Active Cosmetics division, which includes brands such as La Roche-Posay and SkinCeuticals, grew by 10.2%. The Luxe and Consumer Products divisions also achieved solid growth of 5.6% and 4.1%, respectively.
Geographically, the European and North American markets showed a robust recovery, posting comparable growth of 5.5% and 7.6%. Notably, the SAPMENA-SSA region, covering South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, experienced the fastest growth at 15.4%. The North Asia market also grew by 4.8%, driven by high single-digit growth in China, reversing its previous weak trend.
Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L'Oreal, stated that the company is accelerating its market share growth globally and expressed confidence in achieving both sales and profit growth for the full year 2026. Furthermore, the acquisition of Kering's beauty business, which includes the perfume brand Creed, completed on March 31, has further strengthened its portfolio of premium brands.
Comments