Haleon shares fall after revenue target cut on weak cold and flu demand
Haleon cut its 2026 sales growth target to about 2.5% from 3–5% after weak cold and flu demand, and its shares fell more than 11% in early trading on 29 October.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Haleon, the FTSE 100 consumer healthcare company, cut its sales growth target for 2026 on Thursday 29 October, and its shares fell sharply in early trading. Evening StandardN “Consumer healthcare firm Haleon has cut its sales targets for the year after being knocked by weaker demand for cold and flu medicine.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ City A.M.RC “The FTSE 100 firm lost more than 11 per cent in early trading, to 333p.” Read at City A.M. ↗ Mixed · 2The company now expects sales growth of around 2.5% for the year, down from earlier guidance of 3% to 5%. Evening StandardN “This represents a downgrade on earlier projections, having previously guided towards growth of between 3% and 5%.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ City A.M.RC “Haleon had been expecting revenue growth of between three and five per cent but on Thursday trimmed this target to 2.5 per cent.” Read at City A.M. ↗ Centre · 1Revenue for the three months to 30 September grew 2.5% to £2.87 billion, with organic growth of 2.6%. The Evening Standard said this was driven mainly by higher pricing, with volumes up 0.5%. Evening StandardN “The FTSE 100 company said revenues grew by 2.5% to £2.87 billion for the three months to September 30, compared with the same period last year.”“said its most recent sales growth was primarily driven by higher pricing, with sales volumes up 0.5%.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2Chief executive Brian McNamara said third-quarter organic growth of 2.6% was below expectations because of softness in some categories, including weaker cough, cold and flu consumption. McNamara said the company was clear on where it needed to improve and was taking action. City A.M.RC “Our third quarter organic revenue growth of 2.6 per cent was below our expectations as we navigated softness across some of our categories including weaker cough, cold and flu consumption.” Read at City A.M. ↗ Evening StandardN “We are clear on where we need to improve and we are taking action to deliver stronger performance despite challenging markets.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2In North America, soft cold and flu demand meant lower orders. Both outlets report organic growth there of 2.5%, with Sensodyne a bright spot. City A.M. said this was a slowdown from 3.1%, while the Evening Standard said reported revenue rose 1.5% and that Centrum sales were also stronger. Evening StandardN “It said “soft” demand for cold and flu medicine resulted in lower orders in North America in the quarter.”“The region nevertheless saw 1.5% revenues growth, or 2.5% on an organic basis, amid stronger sales of Sensodyne and Centrum products.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ City A.M.RC “Lower demand for flu medicines slowed Haleon’s sales growth in North America from 3.1 to 2.5 per cent” Read at City A.M. ↗ Mixed · 2Europe was weaker. The Evening Standard said sales fell 0.9% to £798 million, citing challenging trading in Germany and central and eastern Europe. City A.M. reported a 0.6% revenue dip and attributed it to weak Centrum sales and “weaker category trends”. Evening StandardN “sales in Europe fell by 0.9% to £798 million, which the group linked to “challenging” trading conditions, particularly in Germany and central and eastern Europe.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ City A.M.RC “saw revenue dip by 0.6 per cent in Europe, owing to weak sales of Centrum, its multivitamin supplement brand” Read at City A.M. ↗
Mixed · 2Oral health was a strength, with 8.8% organic growth for the quarter. City A.M. added that Haleon had to suspend Centrum shipments into China after a change in raw material regulations, though China sales still grew by mid-single digits. It also said south-east Asia and Taiwan saw only low-single-digit growth amid a softer consumer backdrop linked to the Middle East conflict. Evening StandardN “Toothpaste products continued to support growth, with Haleon’s oral health category reported 8.8% organic growth for the quarter.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ City A.M.RC “The group was forced to suspend shipments of Centrum into China after a change in raw material regulations affected imports of the over-the-counter vitamins.” Read at City A.M. ↗ Right · 1City A.M. reported that Haleon has warned repeatedly this year about soft cold and flu seasons and that its shares are down more than 10% year to date. It quoted RBC analyst James Edwardes Jones saying the results “weren’t great” but the revenue guidance cut was “worse”, although profit guidance was maintained. City A.M.RC “The Surrey-based group has warned repeatedly this year that soft cold and flu seasons are hitting sales, and its share price has shed more than 10 per cent in the year to date.”“True, profit guidance has been maintained, but following Reckitt’s results a couple of days ago” Read at City A.M. ↗ Right · 1City A.M. put the result in sector context: rival Reckitt lowered its profit guidance earlier in the week after production problems with Lysol in the US, although Reckitt shares rose more than 1% on Thursday. City A.M.RC “Earlier this week Dettol and Durex owner Reckitt, Haleon’s FTSE 100 rival, lowered its profit guidance after production issues hit production of Lysol, its disinfectant brand, in the US.” Read at City A.M. ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- The Evening Standard reports the results and guidance downgrade in a restrained, company-focused way.
- Emphasis
- Quarterly revenue, price versus volume, regional figures and oral health strength, with the CEO quote.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no analyst reaction, no share price level or percentage fall, and nothing on Reckitt or China shipments.
- Charged language
- “slumped”
- For example
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“Shares in the Panadol and Sensodyne owner slumped in early trading as it also highlighted an impact from import changes in China.” — Evening Standard
“We delivered strong performances in oral health and our turnaround plan in North America continues to make progress.” — Evening Standard
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- City A.M. leads with the share-price hit and market reaction, placing Haleon within a weak consumer-health sector.
- Emphasis
- Share fall to 333p, repeated warnings this year, analyst comment and the Reckitt comparison.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the £2.87bn revenue figure, the price-versus-volume split or the 8.8% oral health growth.
- Charged language
- “crater”“slumped”
What every side reports
- Haleon cut its 2026 sales growth target to about 2.5% from 3–5%.
- Weak cold and flu demand was the main stated cause.
- Third-quarter organic revenue growth was 2.6%, below expectations according to CEO Brian McNamara.
- Shares fell sharply in early trading on 29 October.
Where accounts differ
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Europe sales change in the quarter
- Centre
- Evening Standard: sales fell 0.9% to £798 million, linked to challenging trading in Germany and central and eastern Europe.
- Right
- City A.M.: revenue dipped 0.6%, owing to weak Centrum sales.
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Centrum performance in North America
- Centre
- Evening Standard: stronger sales of Sensodyne and Centrum in North America.
- Right
- City A.M. cites Sensodyne as the bright spot in North America.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Haleon shares slide after targets cut due to weak cold and flu demand
Neutral Results-led report of the downgrade with regional and category detail and management comment.
Right1 article
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Haleon shares crater as soft flu demand hits takings
Critical Market-focused account stressing the share slump, repeated warnings and sector weakness.
- 29 Oct 09:00 First City A.M.RC Haleon shares crater as soft flu demand hits takings
- 29 Oct 12:39 +3h 40m Evening StandardN Haleon shares slide after targets cut due to weak cold and flu demand
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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