Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

L'Oreal slumps as Q4 sales miss expectations

(Sharecast News) - L'Oreal shares slumped on Friday after the cosmetics group posted lower-than-expected fourth-quarter sales. In results released on Thursday, the company said fourth-quarter sales rose 6.9% on a like-for-like basis to €10.61bn, missing expectations of €10.9bn. On a reported basis, sales were up 2.8%.

On a LFL basis, sales were up 11.6% in Europe and 9.4% in North America, but down 6.2% in North Asia, which continued to be dented by market softness in mainland China and "the reset in travel retail" following the change in policy regarding 'daigous'.

Daigous refers to the process by which agents buy luxury goods abroad to avoid taxes and resell them in China.

For the full year 2023, sales grew 7.6% on a reported basis and 11% on a LFL basis to €41.18bn.

Chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said: "In a challenging environment of geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and a stagnating beauty market in China, we delivered our best like-for-like growth in more than 20 years (excluding 2021).

"This is a clear vindication of the power of our multi-polar model, and I am particularly pleased with the strong acceleration in emerging markets."

At 1030 GMT, the shares were down 5.6% at €427.65.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

RBC Capital lifts Centrica to 'outperform', shares rally
(Sharecast News) - RBC Capital Markets upgraded Centrica on Friday to 'outperform' from 'sector perform' and lifted the price target to 170p from 145p.
Jefferies reiterates 'buy' on National Grid, trims price target
(Sharecast News) - Jefferies trimmed its price target on National Grid on Friday as it reiterated its 'buy' rating on the energy infrastructure firm.
JPMorgan reiterates 'overweight' on Whitbread
(Sharecast News) - JPMorgan Cazenove reiterated its 'overweight' rating on Whitbread on Friday as it said it continues to be one of its key convictions, and sees the recent pullback - the shares are down 20% year-to-date - as "an opportunity to revisit the story".
Short-lived sunny spell helps boost UK supermarkets
(Sharecast News) - UK supermarket sales pushed higher in May, industry data showed on Friday, boosted by a brief spell of warmer weather.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.