Reckitt Benckiser has today reported a bigger-than-expected rise in third-quarter sales that were boosted as the coronavirus pandemic spurred demand for cleaning products.
The maker of Dettol and Lysol said sales on a like-for-like basis, excluding items such as foreign exchange fluctuations, rose 13.3%.
Analysts on average expected a 9.5% increase, according to a consensus provided by the company.
Quarterly net revenue was £3.51 billion, up from £3.21 billion a year earlier.
The company raised its full-year net revenue outlook, saying it expects a low double-digit rise, up from a previous forecast of high single-digit growth.
Like-for-like sales rose 19.5% in the company's hygiene business, 12.6% in its health business, which includes Durex condoms and Mucinex cold medicine, and 4.1% in its nutrition business, which includes Enfamil baby formula.
The Covid-19 pandemic has relieved pressure on a business that has struggled against intense competition in the health and hygiene sectors for several years.
Reckitt is preparing to sell some of its personal care brands, including Veet hair removal cream and Clearasil acne cream, Reuters reported last month.
