Düsseldorf, 2020-04-07T17:30+02:00 (MESZ)

Henkel withdraws forecast for fiscal 2020

Impact on business performance in 2020 due to COVID-19 currently not predictable

As the dynamic development of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the global economy, a reliable and realistic evaluation of the future business performance of Henkel is currently not possible. As a consequence, the Management Board of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA has decided today that the forecast for fiscal 2020 published in the Annual Report 2019 will no longer be upheld.

Across all business units and functions, Henkel is responding to the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic with specific measures. Nevertheless, it is currently not possible to predict with sufficient reliability over what period and to what extent Henkel will face further impacts in fiscal 2020, and to what extent these can be offset by countermeasures. The health and safety of our employees, customers and businesspartners have the highest priority.

As soon as it is possible to make a sufficiently reliable evaluation of the future business performance in 2020, Henkel will publish a corresponding forecast.

The development of Henkel in the first quarter of 2020 is already impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on preliminary results, Henkel expects overall organic sales growth for the Group of -0.9 percent in the first quarter of 2020.

For the Adhesive Technologies business unit, Henkel expects organic sales growth of -4.1 percent for the first quarter. In this business, demand declined particularly in the automotive industry. Thanks to strong demand for Laundry & Home Care products, Henkel expects that the business unit has achieved organic sales growth of 5.5 percent in the first quarter. Beauty Care is expected to report a decline in organic sales of -3.9 percent. While the hair salon business was significantly impacted by the closure of hairdressing stores ordered by many authorities, the organic sales growth of the retail business compared to the previous year was stable.

Henkel will publish its financial results for the first quarter of 2020 on May 11, 2020.

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

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Disclaimer
This information contains forward-looking statements which are based on the current estimates and assumptions made by the corporate management of Henkel AG Co. KGaA. Forward-looking statements are characterized by the use of words such as expect, intend, plan, predict, assume, believe, estimate, anticipate, etc. Such statements are not to be understood as in any way guaranteeing that those expectations will turn out to be accurate. Future performance and the results actually achieved by Henkel AG Co. KGaA and its affiliated companies depend on a number of risks and uncertainties and may therefore differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are outside Henkel's control and cannot be accurately estimated in advance, such as the future economic environment and the actions of competitors and others involved in the marketplace. Henkel neither plans nor undertakes to update any forward-looking statements.