Kenvue sees 2025 profit below estimates as dollar strengthens

(Reuters) -Consumer health company Kenvue forecast 2025 adjusted profit below Wall Street estimates on Thursday, hit by a stronger dollar and weak demand for its cough and cold products that include Tylenol and Benadryl.

Shares of the New Jersey-based company fell nearly 2% to $20.34 in premarket trading. The stock is down about 20% since it was listed in 2023 after the company was spun off from Johnson & Johnson.

The company has been under pressure from Starboard Value to improve performance, especially at its skin and beauty products division. The activist hedge fund on Wednesday nominated four directors, including its chief investment officer, to Kenvue's board.

In response to the weakness in the unit, the company has increased investments on marketing and advertising, which also include a push to engage more Gen Z consumers through social media marketing.

"We expect to accelerate performance throughout the year, while navigating the dynamic external environment contemplated within our outlook," Kenvue CFO Paul Ruh said in a statement.

The company forecast flat to 2% growth in 2025 per share adjusted profit, compared with $1.14 it earned in 2024. Analysts expect earnings to grow 5.6% this year, or to $1.21 per share, according to estimates compiled by LSEG.

The outlook does not include any potential impact from tariffs introduced in 2025 by the Trump administration, the company said.

Kenvue expects organic sales to grow between 2% and 4% in 2025.

In the fourth quarter ended Dec. 29, the company earned 26 cents per share on an adjusted basis, meeting estimates. Sales of $3.66 billion slightly missed estimates of $3.77 billion, hit by low incidences of cold, cough and flu.

Sales in the self-care segment, which sells cough and cold products, rose 2.1% to $1.57 billion, compared with analysts' estimates of $1.62 billion.

Its skin health and beauty products, which include brands such as Neutrogena and Aveeno, brought in sales of $1.01 billion, in-line with estimates.

(Reporting by Sneha S K and Manas Mishra; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

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