Henkel reported an 11 per cent increase in Group sales to €5.71 billion in the third quarter of 2026, supported by strong performance across its Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands divisions. Organic sales rose by 6.5 per cent, driven by positive pricing and volume developments across all regions despite challenging market conditions.
The company recorded sales of €16.06 billion during the first nine months of 2026, representing nominal growth of 3.3 per cent and organic growth of 4.3 per cent. Acquisitions and divestments contributed 4.4 per cent to third-quarter sales growth, while foreign exchange movements had a neutral impact.
“Our organic sales growth significantly accelerated in the third quarter, driven by very strong performance in both business units. It is particularly encouraging that we continue to see positive price and volume developments, with volumes increasing for the fifth consecutive quarter. The successful business performance in the third quarter underscores the strength of our business and the consistent execution of our growth agenda,” said Carsten Knobel, CEO, Henkel.
Henkel's Adhesive Technologies division generated sales of €3.03 billion, reflecting nominal growth of 11.8 per cent and organic growth of 7.9 per cent. The increase was supported by strong pricing and positive volumes, particularly in Mobility & Electronics and Packaging & Consumer Goods.
The Mobility & Electronics business recorded organic growth of 12.1 per cent, supported by double-digit increases in Electronics and Industrial operations. Packaging & Consumer Goods achieved organic growth of 9.8 per cent, while Craftsmen, Construction & Professional recorded growth of 2.1 per cent, supported by the General Manufacturing & Maintenance business.
During the first nine months, Adhesive Technologies generated sales of €8.56 billion, representing nominal growth of 5.4 per cent and organic growth of 5.7 per cent. The division recorded strong growth across Europe, North America, India, the Middle East and Africa (IMEA), Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
Henkel's Consumer Brands division reported third-quarter sales of €2.64 billion, up 10.1 per cent nominally and 4.8 per cent organically. Growth was supported by improved pricing, higher volumes and contributions from recent acquisitions, particularly OLAPLEX and Not Your Mother's.
The Laundry & Home Care business delivered organic growth of 6 per cent, driven by strong demand in Fabric Cleaning, Fabric Care and Hand Dishwashing. The Hair business recorded organic growth of 4 per cent, supported by consumer hair care, colour products and professional salon offerings.
Consumer Brands generated sales of €7.38 billion during the first nine months of 2026, representing nominal growth of 0.9 per cent and organic growth of 2.8 per cent.
Henkel also completed all five acquisitions announced during 2026, expanding its Adhesive Technologies portfolio into high-performance water-based speciality tapes and coatings for flexible materials while strengthening its global Hair business.
“At the same time, we continue to advance the strategic development of our portfolio with a clear and consistent focus. All five acquisitions announced in the course of this year have now been successfully completed. With our most recent acquisitions, we are strengthening our core business, expanding into attractive new business areas and creating additional growth opportunities for both business units: In Adhesive Technologies, we have expanded our portfolio with high-performance water-based specialty tapes as well as specialty coatings for flexible materials. In Consumer Brands, we have strengthened our global Hair business across both the Consumer and Professional segments,” Knobel said.
“Our recent acquisitions together represent sales of around 1.6 billion euros. In the coming years, we expect them to deliver above-average growth in the mid-to-high single-digit percentage range and to reach annual sales of around 2 billion euros by 2030. This will further strengthen our growth agenda,” he added.
Following the strong quarterly performance, Henkel revised its full-year 2026 outlook, raising its organic sales growth forecast to between 3 and 4 per cent from the earlier range of 1.5 to 3.5 per cent.
The company now expects an adjusted return on sales of approximately 15 per cent and a mid-single-digit percentage increase in adjusted earnings per preferred share at constant exchange rates.
“With our updated outlook for 2026, we are underscoring our ambition to deliver sustainable and profitable growth. We now expect stronger organic sales growth, while narrowing our earnings guidance to reflect the higher increase in raw material costs, particularly in Adhesive Technologies,” Knobel said.
Henkel's performance reflects continued demand across industrial adhesives, packaging, electronics, construction-related applications and consumer products, alongside its strategy of expanding through acquisitions and improving operational efficiency.
