Procter & Gamble Warns Sales Could Decline
April 26 2017 - 8:32AM
Dow Jones News
By Anne Steele
Procter & Gamble Co. struggled to gain sales traction in the
latest period and the top line slipped below estimates in the
consumer-products giant's second full quarter since shedding the
bulk of its beauty business.
The company also cautioned sales could decline this year because
of divestitures and currency challenges, and shares slipped 1% to
$89.12 premarket.
P&G, the seller of products under brands such as Tide, Head
& Shoulders and Gillette, has struggled for years to accelerate
sales growth as demand has slowed for its consumer staples and
competition has increased from smaller and more nimble rivals.
In June 2015, P&G announced it would shed brands such as
Wella shampoos, Clairol hair dye and CoverGirl makeup and merge
them with Coty Inc. in a complicated deal originally valued at $13
billion. Wednesday's report was the second since unloading the bulk
of the beauty business to Coty.
Chief Executive David Taylor pointed to modest organic sales
growth and double-digit core earnings growth amid an environment
"characterized by a slowdown in market growth, continued
geopolitical disruptions and foreign-exchange challenges."
For the March quarter, P&G reported net income of $2.52
billion, or 93 cents a share, down from year-ago earnings of $2.75
billion, or 97 cents a share. On an adjusted basis, excluding
restructuring charges, the company said it earned 96 cents a share,
two pennies above the average analyst estimate.
Sales edged lower to $15.61 billion from $15.78 billion a year
ago, slightly more of a decline than the $15.73 billion analysts
were expecting.
P&G has shown recently it is able to cut costs but had yet
to deliver on a promise to meaningfully increase revenue. Investors
have been looking for P&G to post improved organic-sales
growth, a measure that strips out currency moves, acquisitions and
divestments.
The company said organic sales rose 1%, driven by a 1% increase
in organic shipment volume, as pricing and it sales mix had no net
impact on quarterly sales. Organic sales grew across all segments
except for grooming, where lower volume and reduced pricing in
shave care led to a 6% drop.
The company backed its guidance for per-share core earnings
growth in the mid-single digits and organic sales growth in the
range of 2% to 3% for its fiscal 2017 year.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 26, 2017 08:17 ET (12:17 GMT)
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