Finance
UK specialty chemicals maker Croda sets ambitious profit margin target amid business overhaul
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 24, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 24, 2026
Tags:Global markets
Quick Summary
Croda International beat annual profit forecasts, posting £276.2m adjusted pretax profit vs a £267.8m consensus, led by Consumer Care and Life Sciences growth. Equivalent to about $372.5m.
Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain's Croda International set out ambitious profit margin targets for 2028, as the specialty chemicals maker continued to streamline its business after facing subdued demand in some regions due to U.S. tariffs last year.
The company, which provides ingredients for the beauty, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries, overhauled its operations and sites, and tightened procurement to get a better handle on costs, which were exacerbated by client destocking and tariffs.
Croda took impairment charges totaling 107.3 million pounds in 2025, including 44.6 million pounds related to placing its Lamar lipids facility in the United States on standby as customer projects requiring large-scale production were taking longer to materialize than expected.
The firm, which makes peptides for anti-aging creams and lipids for drug delivery, said it expects adjusted group operating margin to cross 20% for 2028, after its annual pretax profit beat market expectations.
It logged 276.2 million pounds ($372.51 million) in adjusted pretax profit for the year, above analysts' average expectations of 267.8 million pounds, as per a company-compiled poll.
($1 = 0.7415 pounds)
(Reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
Key Takeaways
- •Adjusted pretax profit was £276.2 million, topping a £267.8 million consensus.
- •Outperformance was driven by Consumer Care and Life Sciences divisions.
- •Results were compared against a company-compiled analyst poll.
- •Profit equates to about $372.5 million using $1 = £0.7415.
- •Report attributed to Reuters on Feb 24.
Frequently Asked Questions about UK specialty chemicals maker Croda sets ambitious profit margin target amid business overhaul
1What is the main topic?
Croda International beat annual profit expectations, reporting £276.2 million in adjusted pretax profit versus a £267.8 million consensus, supported by Consumer Care and Life Sciences.
2How much did Croda beat forecasts by?
Adjusted pretax profit was £8.4 million above expectations (£276.2m reported vs £267.8m consensus).
3Which divisions drove the outperformance?
Growth in the Consumer Care and Life Sciences divisions underpinned the profit beat.
