Nestlé three-month sales: 4.4% organic growth, full-year outlook confirmed

According to the company, sales rose by 0.5% to CHF 20.9 bn, impacted by negative foreign exchange of - 4.5%. Acquisitions, net of divestitures, added 0.6% to sales.

In 2015 Nestlé continued to grow in all geographies: 5.6% in the Americas (AMS), 4.5% in Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMENA) and 2.2% in Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa (AOA). The developed markets grew 2.5% and the emerging markets 6.7%. In the confectionery segment sales declined from CHF 2.204 bn to CHF 2.087 bn. Organic growth in the first quarter was 7.5%, real internal growth was 1.4%.

Paul Bulcke, Nestlé CEO, commented: "Our three-month sales growth was in line with expectations and driven by both real internal growth and pricing. We delivered good performances in Zone EMENA, Nestlé Waters and Other businesses. We continued our efforts to restore momentum in Zone AOA and in North America, and expect these initiatives to gain traction throughout the year. Our full-year outlook is confirmed: we aim to achieve organic growth of around 5% with improvements in margins, underlying earnings per share in constant currencies and capital efficiency."