Symrise AG reported first-quarter sales of €1,249 million, coming in above analysts' expectations of €1,231 million. On an organic basis the German flavor and fragrance maker recorded a decline of 0.4%, an outcome that nonetheless outperformed the consensus view which expected a steeper contraction of 1.6%.
The group's two main reporting divisions showed contrasting performances. Taste, Nutrition & Health generated €749 million in sales and posted organic growth of 1.7%, while Scent & Care produced €500 million and saw organic sales drop by 3.4%. Reported sales were also affected by portfolio-related effects, which subtracted 0.1%, and by foreign exchange, which reduced reported revenue by 4.6%.
Geographically, Asia/Pacific was the strongest region in the quarter, delivering organic growth of 3.4% on sales of €268 million. Latin America expanded organically by 2.8% with sales of €174 million. North America recorded organic growth of 1.9% on revenue of €301 million. By contrast, the EAME region declined 4.9% on an organic basis, with sales of €505 million.
Drilling down into the Taste, Nutrition & Health division, the Food and Beverage unit achieved low single-digit organic growth. Within that portfolio, Naturals and Savory each delivered mid-single-digit organic growth. Pet-related businesses were mixed: Pet Palatability posted low single-digit organic growth, while Pet Nutrition experienced a slight decline as positive volumes were offset by normalizing prices.
Performance in Scent & Care was uneven. Fragrances grew at a low single-digit organic rate overall, with Consumer Fragrance expanding at a mid-single-digit pace and Fine Fragrance advancing at a low single-digit rate. The Care & Wellness area was a notable drag, suffering a low double-digit sales decline that the company attributed primarily to a double-digit drop in UV-filter products.
Symrise reiterated its full-year fiscal 2026 targets, reaffirming guidance for organic sales growth of 2% to 4% and an adjusted EBITDA margin in a range of 21.5% to 22.5%.
Summary
Symrise beat top-line expectations in the first quarter with reported sales of €1,249 million and a smaller-than-expected organic contraction of 0.4%. Growth was concentrated in Taste, Nutrition & Health and in Asia/Pacific, while Scent & Care and the EAME region weighed on overall performance. The company maintained its fiscal 2026 outlook for both organic sales growth and adjusted EBITDA margin.