Investing.com -- Barry Callebaut, the Swiss chocolate maker, has reported a decrease in sales volume for the first quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, leading to a negative watch for U.S. and European chocolate companies. The 2.7% drop in sales volume for Barry Callebaut was steeper than the market's anticipated 2.2% decline. The decrease was especially severe in Western Europe, where sales volumes fell by 7.5%.
Barry Callebaut also revised its volume guidance for fiscal 2025, now predicting a slight decrease in volume. This is a downgrade from its earlier forecast of steady volumes.
Barclays (LON:BARC) analysts have pointed out that Barry Callebaut's performance seems to mirror the rise in cocoa prices. The company has managed to counter some of the volume pressures with strong pricing actions.
U.S. chocolate manufacturers Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ) and Hershey, along with European chocolate producers Lindt and Nestle (NSE:NEST), are now under scrutiny due to the reported sales decline from Barry Callebaut.
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