Nestlé: 2012 Half-Year Results

Nestlé press release

Highlights:

Sales of CHF 44.1 billion, 6.6% organic growth, 2.9% real internal growth
Trading operating profit of CHF 6.6 billion (+6.3%), margin 15.0% (-10 bps)

Input cost pressure resulted in an increase in the cost of goods sold, of 50 bps (0.5%), mitigated by savings from Nestlé Continuous Excellence and by pricing.

The drought in the Midwest of the United States has pushed up grain prices sharply, but cereals only make up a relatively small part of Nestle’s raw material costs and the company is well hedged against other commodity prices.

Nestle expects less pressure on raw material costs in the second half of the year.