Givaudan soars in Zurich as quarterly sales beat expectations

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Givaudan is leading the way on the Zurich Stock Exchange after significantly exceeding sales expectations in the third quarter. Shares in the Swiss fragrance and flavourings manufacturer are among the top performers on the SMI index, and are also driving up the share price of its German rival Symrise.

Givaudan has announced organic sales growth that significantly exceeded market expectations, driven by the fragrances division and the recovery in the flavourings sector. Revenue, totalling 2.09 billion Swiss francs, rose by 8.6 per cent on an organic basis in the third quarter, compared with the consensus estimate of 4.7 per cent. On a reported basis, growth stood at 11.3 per cent. The division producing flavourings for food and drink recorded organic growth of 3.5% to 952 million, compared with the consensus estimate of 2.8%. The fragrances division, which creates perfumes for the beauty sector and for home care products, grew by 13.5 per cent organically, compared with analysts’ forecasts of 6.6 per cent.

As industry insiders point out, in addition to strong fragrance sales, the group is benefiting from initiatives launched in the flavour division following the decline in sales in North America, including a strategic review of the natural ingredients business. Givaudan has also indicated that it has raised prices in agreement with its customers to fully offset the rise in raw material costs recorded this year. In the first nine months of the year, turnover reached 5.9 billion Swiss francs, up 5.2 per cent on a like-for-like basis, compared with the consensus estimate of 3.9 per cent. The Fragrances division recorded organic growth of 8.8% to 3.15 billion, whilst the Flavours division posted growth of 1.5% to 2.74 billion (with a reported decline of 2.8%).

“We are pleased with the acceleration in sales growth over the first nine months of 2026, with consistently strong performance in the Fragrance & Beauty sector and a sequential improvement in the Taste & Wellbeing sector, in line with expectations. Against a backdrop of ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges, these results once again demonstrate the value that Givaudan’s unique expertise brings to all our customers,” commented CEO Christian Stammkoetter.