Diageos Q3 Fiscal 26 trading statement highlights strong growth in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, with high-single-digit increases, offset by weakness in North America. Overall, reported net sales rose 2.3% to $4.5 billion, while organic net sales grew 0.3%. The company reiterated its Fiscal 26 guidance, expecting organic net sales to decline 2-3% and organic operating profit to remain flat to low-single-digit growth. Key regional performances include a 9.4% organic net sales decline in North America due to soft market conditions, 8.8% growth in Europe driven by Guinness, and 16.2% growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. Diageos Accelerate program remains on track to deliver $300 million in savings by the end of Fiscal 26. The company also announced strategic disposals to reduce leverage and increase financial flexibility.
| Metric | Q3 F26 ($m) | Q3 F25 ($m) | Reported Growth YoY (%) | Organic Growth YoY (%) | 9 Months F26 ($m) | 9 Months F25 ($m) | Reported Growth YoY (%) | Organic Growth YoY (%) |
|---|
| Net Sales | 4,477 | 4,376 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 14,937 | 15,277 | (2.2) | (1.9) |
| Volume | 0.4 | (0.5) | - | - | (0.5) | (1.4) | - | - |
| Price/Mix | (0.1) | - | - | - | (1.4) | - | - | - |
Regional Performance - Q3
| Region | Q3 F26 Net Sales ($m) | Q3 F25 Net Sales ($m) | Reported Growth YoY (%) | Organic Growth YoY (%) | Volume Growth YoY (%) | Price/Mix Growth YoY (%) |
|---|
| North America | 1,712 | 1,903 | (10.0) | (9.4) | (9.9) | 0.5 |
| Europe | 1,049 | 898 | 16.8 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 2.6 |
| Asia Pacific | 797 | 803 | (0.7) | (0.8) | (4.6) | 3.8 |
| LAC | 513 | 378 | 35.7 | 16.2 | 10.5 | 5.6 |
| Africa | 374 | 369 | 1.4 | 17.1 | 20.2 | (3.1) |
| Corporate | 32 | 25 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Regional Performance - 9 Months
| Region | 9 Months F26 Net Sales ($m) | 9 Months F25 Net Sales ($m) | Reported Growth YoY (%) | Organic Growth YoY (%) | Volume Growth YoY (%) | Price/Mix Growth YoY (%) |
|---|
| North America | 5,502 | 5,998 | (8.3) | (7.6) | (5.8) | (1.8) |
| Europe | 3,809 | 3,530 | 7.9 | 4.3 | 0.2 | 4.1 |
| Asia Pacific | 2,632 | 2,913 | (9.6) | (8.2) | (2.3) | (5.8) |
| LAC | 1,629 | 1,428 | 14.1 | 7.7 | 1.6 | 6.0 |
| Africa | 1,247 | 1,313 | (5.0) | 12.7 | 11.3 | 1.4 |
| Corporate | 118 | 95 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Debt and Financial Flexibility
| Metric | F26 | F25 | Change |
|---|
| Capital Expenditure ($bn) | 1.2-1.3 | 1.5 | Lower end of range |
| Free Cash Flow ($bn) | 3.0 | 2.7 | +0.3 |
| Effective Interest Rate (%) | 4.0 | 4.1 | -0.1 |
### Summary:
- **Net Sales**: Q3 F26 reported net sales increased by 2.3% YoY to $4,477 million, with organic growth of 0.3%. For the 9 months, reported net sales decreased by 2.2% YoY to $14,937 million, with organic growth of -1.9%.
- **Regional Performance**: Strong growth in Europe, LAC, and Africa, offset by weakness in North America and Asia Pacific.
- **Debt and Financial Flexibility**: Capital expenditure is expected to be at the lower end of the $1.2-1.3 billion range, free cash flow increased to $3.0 billion, and the effective interest rate decreased slightly to 4.0%.