UK's Halma hits record high after profit beat, upbeat revenue forecast

By Ankita Bora

(Reuters) -British health and safety device maker Halma on Thursday forecast higher revenue growth for fiscal year 2026 and beat annual profit expectations, sending its shares to a record high.

At a time when global companies are taking action to mitigate the costs of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the British firm said it expects minimal impact on its operations due to a strong local manufacturing footprint.

Halma operates in over 20 countries, and it counts the United States as its biggest revenue contributor.

"With around 90% of U.S. sales produced domestically and over 45 subsidiaries sourcing locally, the company has a natural hedge against cross-border trade disruptions," finance chief Carole Cran told Reuters in an interview.

Shares of the company were up as much 5.64% at 3334 pence. The stock was the top gainer on the benchmark FTSE 100 index.

Halma expects organic revenue growth for the current year in "upper single-digits", compared with estimates of a 6% rise, as per a company-compiled consensus.

The firm, which operates over 45 businesses across safety, healthcare and environmental & analysis, said its responses to tariffs included passing surcharges or adjusting sourcing, Cran said.

The various companies under Halma are affected differently, Cran said, adding that some relied on local manufacturing, while others source from China.

"Achieving such a performance in varied and fast changing conditions is exceptional in terms of really giving us confidence as we move forward," CEO Marc Ronchetti said.

The company expects adjusted operating profit margin to be "modestly above" the mid-point of its 19%-23% target range.

The Buckinghamshire-headquartered firm's adjusted pretax profit rose 16% to 459.4 million pounds ($621.8 million) for the year to March 31, ahead of a company-compiled consensus of 447 million pounds.

It lifted its annual dividend by 7% to 23.12 pence per share.

($1 = 0.7388 pounds)

(Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)