Beiersdorf continues profitable performance –
Guidance for 2017 confirmed

• Organic Group sales increase by 3.3% (4.4%*)
• Consumer sales up 2.3% (3.4%*)
• tesa sales increase by 8.5% (9.4%*)
• Group EBIT margin at 16.0%

* Increase excluding the effects of the attack on the company’s IT systems at the end of June and the resulting shift of sales to the third quarter

Hamburg, August 3, 2017 – Beiersdorf continued its profitable performance in the first half of 2017. Organic Group sales increased by 3.3%, outperforming the market. In nominal terms, sales were up 4.6%, from €3.358 billion to €3.513 billion. Group EBIT improved by 9.3% from €513 million in the previous year to €561 million. The EBIT margin increased from 15.3% to 16.0%. The guidance for sales and earnings for the full year 2017 is confirmed.  

Beiersdorf achieved strong, above-market growth despite an attack on the company’s IT at the end of June. The attack led to a shift of sales from the second to the third quarter. Without this shift, organic sales growth for the Group for the first half-year 2017 would have been 4.4% instead of the reported 3.3%. The Consumer Business Segment would have achieved a 3.4% increase in organic sales (reported: 2.3%). tesa would have recorded sales growth of 9.4% (reported: 8.5%).  

“Beiersdorf continued on its profitable growth path in the first six months of 2017. We have once again increased our sales, and our growth rate outperformed the market. The second quarter in particular brought a major boost in sales. We also increased earnings to a new record level for the Group,” said Stefan F. Heidenreich, CEO of Beiersdorf AG.

Organic Group sales in the first six months of 2017 were up 3.3%. In nominal terms, sales rose by 4.6%, from €3.358 billion in the previous year to €3.513 billion.

The Consumer Business Segment lifted organic sales by 2.3% in the first six months of the year. Sales were up 3.8% in nominal terms, from €2.798 billion to €2.903 billion. EBIT in the Consumer Business Segment climbed by 6.3% from €424 million to €451 million. The EBIT margin improved from 15.1% in the previous year to 15.5%. 

NIVEA sales rose by 2.2%. Eucerin sales were up 1.3%, while Hansaplast increased sales by 2.2%. La Prairie generated strong sales growth of 10.2%.

Sales in the Europe region grew by 1.1%. Sales in Western Europe were up 0.6% at the end of the first six months. In Eastern Europe, Beiersdorf once again achieved substantial sales growth, with sales up 3.5% in the region.

In the Americas region, sales were up 0.8%. Latin America saw an increase in sales of 2.1%. In North America, sales were down 1.1% on the previous year.

In the Africa/Asia/Australia region, Beiersdorf achieved sales growth of 5.3% in the first six months of the year.

The tesa Business Segment achieved strong growth of 8.5%. In nominal terms, sales rose by 9.0% to €610 million (previous year: €560 million). EBIT rose by 23.1%, from €89 million in the previous year to €110 million. The EBIT margin improved from 16.0% to 18.1%.

Both the industrial and consumer businesses contributed to this positive sales trend. In the Americas, the very positive trend in the automotive industry continued. Sales in Asia were up substantially on the weak prior-year period.

Beiersdorf expects the Consumer Business Segment to outperform the market in 2017 with sales growth of 3–4%. The EBIT margin from operations is expected to slightly exceed the prior-year figure. 

tesa is expected to generate sales growth of 4–5% and an operating EBIT margin at the prior-year level. 

Based on the forecasts for the two business segments, Beiersdorf expects Group sales to grow by 3–4% in financial year 2017, with the EBIT margin from operations slightly up on the prior year.