Croda backs annual guidance as first-quarter sales beat expectations
Croda International PLC on Wednesday said it has made an encouraging start to the year with good sales growth and profit in line with expectations.
The Yorkshire-based speciality chemicals maker said sales rose 8.1% to £442 million in the first quarter of 2025 from £409 million a year prior, or by 9% at constant currency.
‘Good sales growth was driven by higher sales volumes with the price/mix headwinds we saw in 2024 starting to diminish,’ the company said in a statement.
Analysts at Jefferies said sales were 5.7% higher than Visible Alpha market consensus of £418 million.
Overall, adjusted pretax profit in the first quarter was in line with company expectations, Croda said.
As a result, the company expects to deliver £265 million to £295 million group in adjusted pretax profit at constant currency in all of 2025, compared to £279.7 million in 2024.
This is despite a political and economic environment which has become ‘less predictable,’ it added.
In response, shares in Croda jumped 8.6% to 2,957.33 pence in London on Wednesday morning.
By division, revenue in Consumer Care rose 8%, in Life Sciences by 10% and in Industrial Specialties by 6%.
Croda said it is assessing the likely impact of trade tariffs and said it will apply a tariff surcharge to cover any associated incremental costs.
Croda will report half-year results on July 29.
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