Yahoo Finance Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser vows return to growth after year of stagnation
Reckitt Benckiser, the consumer goods giant behind Nurofen, Durex and Cillit Bang, has vowed to return to growth after reporting its first year of flat like-for-like sales ever.
RB was hit by the NotPetya ransomware in June last year, halting production, shipping and invoicing at a number of sites, and had previously warned investors not to expect growth last year as a result.
The company hopes to get back on track this year after an overhaul of its structure and the $16.6bn (£11.8bn) acquisition of US baby milk manufacturer Mead Johnson in 2017.
Today it said the integration of the two companies was “firmly on track” and that it managed to grow 2pc on a like-for-like basis in the last quarter of the year, partly thanks to 5pc growth in the health division, which makes products including Clearasil, Gaviscon and Strepsils.
The company hopes to grow like-for-like revenues by between 2pc and 3pc next year.
Chief executive Rakesh Kapoor said 2017 was a “significant year in RB's journey to become a global leader in consumer health”.
Total revenues grew 21pc to £11.5bn, boosted by the Mead Johnson takeover, while profit before tax was up 11pc to £2.5bn.
