Fonterra Co-operative Group on Monday upgraded its full-year earnings outlook for continuing operations and disclosed a small increase in half-year profit, while warning that the conflict in the Middle East could create supply chain disruptions and lift costs in the latter half of the fiscal year.
The cooperative raised its forecast for continuing operations to a range of 50-65 New Zealand cents per share, up from a prior range of 45-65 NZ cents. Management said the revision reflected firmer global commodity prices alongside resilient underlying margins and disciplined cost management.
For the six months ended January 31, Fonterra reported profit after tax of NZ$750 million, compared with NZ$729 million in the previous corresponding period, a 3% increase. The result was supported by growth in higher-value product lines, with Fonterra citing improved pricing and stronger performance in its protein portfolio.
Management highlighted performance by two commercial channels: the ingredients business channel delivered an 11% return on capital, while the foodservice channel returned 12.6%.
The board approved an interim dividend of 24 New Zealand cents per share, up from 22 NZ cents a year earlier. In addition, Fonterra confirmed a special Mainland dividend of 16 NZ cents per share, which the company said represents 100% of Mainland’s fiscal 2026 earnings while the unit has been under Fonterra’s ownership.
Fonterra also lifted its outlook for the farmgate milk price - the payment it makes to farmers for milk - to a range of NZ$9.40-NZ$10.00 per kilogram of milk solids (kgMS), up from prior guidance of NZ$9.20-NZ$9.80 per kgMS.
Chief Executive Miles Hurrell said that while operations had been pressured by strong milk flows, including record volumes from New Zealand’s South Island, and by adverse weather conditions, the company had managed to mitigate the operational impact.
On external risks, Fonterra cautioned that the Middle East conflict could contribute to higher inventory levels and elevated costs during the second half of the year, and add to volatility in global commodity markets. The company did not quantify potential cost impacts, but flagged the geopolitical situation as a factor to monitor for supply chain and pricing volatility.
Fonterra reaffirmed that it had agreed to sell its global consumer and related businesses to French dairy major Lactalis, with the transaction expected to complete by the end of March 2026.
Currency information in the company statement noted the exchange rate used in reporting: $1 = 1.7200 New Zealand dollars.
The company presentation also included a promotional note about an AI-driven stock screening product that evaluates Fonterra (ticker: FCG) alongside other companies using a broad set of financial metrics, and referenced past stock picks as examples of the tool’s historical performance. The promotional content described the tool as identifying opportunities based on fundamentals, momentum and valuation without bias.