Nestle is scheduled to report results for the first half of 2026 on Thursday. Here is what you need to know:
SALES FORECAST: The Swiss packaged-food group is expected to report 43.03 billion Swiss francs ($52.95 billion) in sales for the first half, according to company-compiled consensus estimates. In the same period last year, Nestle booked 44.23 billion francs in sales.
EARNINGS FORECASTS: The maker of Nescafe coffee and Purina pet food is anticipated to post 5.07 billion francs in net profit, according to company-compiled estimates, largely flat from what it posted in the same period a year earlier. Nestle's underlying trading operating profit--which strips out exceptional and other one-off items--is expected to come in at 6.98 billion francs, compared with 7.29 billion francs in the period a year before.
Shares have risen 9.4% over the past 12 months to 84.28 francs on Tuesday's close.
WHAT TO WATCH:
--VOLUMES: Real internal growth progression will be a key focus, as pricing is largely reflecting a carry-over from 2025, Barclays' Warren Ackerman said. RIG, which measures the volume of products sold, is a stated priority from Nestle. The first half will indicate whether RIG can build without the support of pricing, he said. Demand for price-sensitive categories such as chocolate and coffee could influence results, he added.
-- AMERICAS: The U.S. is expected to play a key role for Nestle's first-half results, Ackerman said. He has tempered expectations for the U.S., citing the still-challenging backdrop. Meanwhile, Nestle's Americas CEO Jeff Hamilton is keen for growth of all categories in the U.S., but noted coffee as a primary growth engine, he told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview.
-- INFANT NUTRITION IMPACT: The formula recall impacts should be starting to unwind. Ackerman said some of the infant formula brand may have been impacted, but that products are coming back on the shelf. There was a heavy organic sales growth headwind in the first quarter, of around 90 basis points.
-- DISPOSALS: There will be a focus from analysts on updates from Nestle's recent disposals--and those in process--particularly the waters, vitamins, and Blue Bottle businesses, Ackerman said.
Write to Aimee Look at aimee.look@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 22, 2026 05:19 ET (09:19 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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