Strong Chinese demand helps Danone Q1 sales beat forecasts

PARIS, April 23 (Reuters) - Danone DANO.PA beat first-quarter sales expectations on Wednesday, as strong demand in China for infant milk formula and medical nutrition products outpaced weakness in coffee creamers in the United States.

The consumer goods giant, whose brands include Evian and Badoit water and Activia yoghurt, reported first quarter 2025 sales of 6.844 billion euros ($7.79 billion). That represented a like-for-like rise of 4.3%, compared with analysts' expectations of 3.8% in a company-provided consensus.

For the 2025 full year, Danone reiterated that its forecast was in line with its mid-term ambition of like-for-like sales growth of 3-5%, with recurring operating income growing faster than sales.

($1 = 0.8783 euros)