0844 GMT - Henkel reported a softer growth in the fourth quarter and set a conservative outlook, confirming that the company is facing a challenging consumer backdrop, RBC Capital Markets analysts Wassachon Udomsilpa and James Edwardes Jones say in a note. The owner of brands including Persil and Schwarzkopf flagged softer growth in the first quarter, highlighting a particularly subdued consumer environment in North America, which it said it expects to accelerate throughout the year, they say. The outlook is consistent with sector peers, they add. On the positive side, the company launched a 1 billion-euro share buyback to acquire around 2.7% of its outstanding shares, the analysts say. Shares are down 7.8% at 71.75 euros. (michael.susin@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 11, 2025 04:45 ET (08:45 GMT)

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