Shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) plummeted 5.07% during Tuesday's intraday trading session, reversing early gains after the company released its interim 2026 trading update. The decline came amid a broader sell-off in consumer stocks, with the sector showing weakness throughout the premarket and into the regular session.
The company reported solid first-half results, with revenue up 6.1% to €10.7 billion, operating profit rising 8.1% to €1.5 billion, and diluted earnings per share climbing 10.6% to €2.20. However, investors appeared to focus on rising costs and a cautious outlook for the second half. Cost of sales per unit case increased 0.6%, slightly below the company's full-year view of approximately 1.5%, but management noted that Middle East-related absorption is expected to weigh more heavily in the second half of the year.
The broader consumer staples sector also faced pressure, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) down 0.4% in premarket trading. Other major consumer names like McDonald's and Kimberly-Clark also slipped despite reporting higher quarterly results, suggesting a risk-off sentiment among investors in the space.
Comments