Henkel reported first-quarter organic sales growth of 1.7%, topping analyst forecasts of 1.1%. The company said volumes contributed 1.0 percentage point to the increase, while pricing added 0.7 percentage point.
Within the group's consumer segment, Henkel recorded organic sales growth of 1.8%, ahead of the 1.0% consensus estimate. Volume expansion in the division was 0.7%, and pricing rose 1.1%. The hair-care category was the leading contributor in the consumer division, with 5.1% growth. By contrast, sales in laundry and home care were unchanged versus the prior year.
The adhesives division also outperformed expectations, delivering organic sales growth of 1.7% compared with a 1.2% consensus forecast. Volumes in adhesives increased by 1.3%, while pricing added 0.4%. Henkel highlighted electronics as a driver of the adhesives segment's performance.
The company disclosed that roughly 80 basis points of the adhesives division's outturn was attributable to customer pre-buying ahead of price increases, primarily in Asia-Pacific consumer packaging.
Despite revising its input-cost inflation outlook upward, Henkel kept its full-year financial guidance intact. The company now anticipates input costs to rise by approximately $500 million, which it said represents a 2 percentage point margin headwind compared with its prior estimate of $100 million.
Henkel reiterated its medium-term top-line and margin framework. The company continues to forecast group organic sales growth of 1% to 3% for 2026, with the consumer division expected to grow between 0.5% and 2.5%. Operating margin guidance remains in the 14.5% to 16.0% range. Henkel also expects constant currency earnings per share to expand in the low to high single-digit percent range.
On acquisitions, Henkel said synergies from recent deals should reach a high single-digit percentage of total acquired sales by 2030, and that it expects more than 10% accretion.
The quarter's results reflect a mix of modest organic expansion across consumer-facing product lines and sustained industrial demand in adhesives, while the company faces a larger than previously anticipated inflationary pressure on inputs. Henkel's retention of full-year guidance alongside an elevated input-cost projection leaves the company signaling confidence in its ability to absorb cost headwinds without revising targets.