Lindt & Sprüngli raises growth target after strong first half-year

The producer of Lindor balls, pralines and chocolate bunnies sold chocolate worth CHF 2.35 billion in the first half of 2025, as the Group announced on Tuesday. In organic terms, Lindt & Sprüngli grew by 11.2 percent from January to June.

This growth was primarily driven by strong price increases of 15.8 percent to compensate for temporarily higher cocoa costs. On the other hand, business was also driven by the "Dubai chocolate", which was launched with great fanfare in the fall. According to the company, growth was supported by all regions.

Sales in North America below expectations

Sales fell slightly in terms of volume, particularly in North America, where consumer sentiment remained subdued. The so-called volume/mix growth amounted to -4.6 percent.

Operating profit fell by 11.2 percent to 259 million francs. Accordingly, the margin as a measure of profitability fell from 13.5 percent to 11.0 percent.

Last year, a positive one-off effect from a legal dispute had improved the result by 30 million francs. In addition, Lindt had benefited from cocoa stocks at a lower purchase price.

Analysts' expectations only partially met

The bottom line was a 13.3 percent lower net profit of 189 million Swiss francs. With the figures presented, Lindt clearly exceeded analysts' expectations in terms of sales and growth. However, the company's profit figures did not meet expectations.

The chocolate manufacturer has raised its targets for the current year. Based on price adjustments, the Group now expects an increase in organic growth of 9 to 11 percent for 2025 (previously 7 to 9 percent). The operating margin is expected to increase at the lower end of a range of 20 to 40 basis points. The company is sticking to its medium-term targets.