LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) – Reckitt CEO Kris Licht said on Tuesday that the maker of goods from Dettol to Durex expected a delayed inflationary hit from the Iran crisis.
Licht was speaking in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Europe summit in London.
“In terms of the inflationary effects of the crisis, which are clear, that will start to flow through”, he said. “There’s actually a bit of a delay on some of that,” he said.
Consumer goods companies are navigating a tough global environment with weak consumer sentiment and higher costs and supply disruptions as a result of the Iran war.
Reckitt warned in April of lower first-half margins, citing high oil prices and a weak cold and flu season. Its share price is down around 23% so far this year.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed on a framework for a peace deal, but Licht said it was too early to draw any conclusions about the conflict. He said Reckitt was used to navigating inflationary shocks and is well-placed in the U.S. and emerging markets like China and India.
“We’re seeing strong growth” in emerging markets, he said. “And that is really where you can source most growth.”
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(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Izabela Niemiec in Gdansk, Alexander Marrow in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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