Symrise has reported good sales growth in local currencies the first half of 2008 driven by flavours and emerging markets, although fragrance growth was hit by the drop-off in consumer spending on luxury goods.
Investment advisory group Deminor has written to the French financial authorities to complain about the validity of Clarins proposed share buy back scheme.
Burberry fragrance sales have once again boosted results for Inter Parfums and the US-based fragrance player has reported a twenty percent increase in second quarter sales.
Taking a minority stake in Forest Essentials will provide Estee Lauder with improved access to a small but fast-growing market brimming with opportunity, says a Kline analyst.
Farmec Cluj, one of Romania's biggest cosmetic producers has reported a 36 per cent profit increase in the first half of the year on new skin and body care products.
Sliding share prices on the stock exchange and financial downgrades point to tougher times for the personal care industry as high commodity prices hit hard, experts say.
Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has reported strong second quarter
results although price increases within its consumer goods division
will be implemented throughout the year.
CSM has announced plans to sell its Purac gluconates production
plant in The Netherlands to Avebe, as part of a broader
restructuring of manufacturing and focus on core competencies.
Procter & Gamble has become the first major personal care
producer to announce significant across the board price increases
in the face of mounting costs.
The deposed CEO of French fragrance and cosmetics retailer
Marionnaud has been imprisoned for 18 months after being found
guilty of falsifying company accounts.
Poland cosmetics player Eveline Cosmetics has signed a distribution
deal to with ProConcepts Marketing to expand into the US,
Canadian and Mexican markets.
Clarins says that after its proposed delisting is complete it
intends to go ahead with plans to refocus its portfolio, despite a
negative stock market reaction.
YSL has sealed the deal with L'Oreal to become a part of its luxury
products division in a move that extends the cosmetics giant's
presence in the premium segment.
Clarins, one of the last sizeable independent cosmetic companies,
has offered to buy back outstanding shares in an effort to delist
from the Paris Bourse.
A European investment firm has invested in active ingredients
company Groupe Unipex which the firm hopes will allow it to
double in size in the next five years.
Genevieve Berger has been appointed chief research and development
officer, a newly created position aimed at consolidating the
company's focus on scientific discovery.
Unilever has announced that it is selling its edible oils business
and palm oil plantation interests in the Ivory Coast, and will
instead invest in a soap business in the country.
Estee Lauder Cosmetics has filed a lawsuit against fragrance maker
Preferred Fragrance for alleged trademark infringements of its
Clinique brand perfume products.
L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics group, has received approval
from the European Commission for its €1.15bn acquisition of Yves
Saint Laurent Beauté.
BASF Corporation is the latest leading specialty chemicals
manufacturer to announce major price hikes among its offerings to
the personal care industry.
Global fragrance maker Parlux has announced a significant boost to
its full year results ending in March thanks to revised market
focus and restructuring programme.
Having acquired Kanebo Cosmetics in 2005, the logistics operations
for the two businesses are now in the throes of a massive
integration operation as part of aims to fully synthesize the
business.
Treatt is expecting Earthoil to make a better contribution to
results since acquiring the remaining 50 per cent of Earthoil
Plantations and Earthoil Kenya, giving it full control over
operations.
Faces Cosmetics has appointed a new CEO for international
markets who will be charged with growing the business in
some of the world's fastest growing developing markets.
Recent financial results from leading cosmetics firms have been
mixed but historical data from Kline suggests the US downturn may
give them reason for cheer.
Fragrance and flavours supplier Givaudan has signed a partnership
with Colgate-Palmolive which will allow it to collaborate with the
personal care company on future products.
Helen of Troy's personal care division continued to struggle in the
fourth quarter reporting a 7.1 percent drop in sales that it blamed
on the tough retail environment.