Nestle beats sales forecasts and pursues ice cream unit sale
Nestle reported strong fourth-quarter sales today and entered talks to sell its ice cream unit. The firm expects higher profit margins throughout all of 2026.
Nestle (SY:NESN) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales growth and announced on February 19, 2026, that it is in advanced negotiations to sell Nestle's remaining ice cream business (SY:NESTLE_ICE_CREAM) to Froneri (SY:FRONERI). The announcement, which came as part of the company's fourth-quarter earnings release, reflects an active strategic portfolio streamlining currently underway at the firm.
In addition to the quarterly results, the company provided its financial guidance for 2026, stating that organic sales are expected at 3-4%. Management also forecasted an improvement in the underlying trading operating profit margin for the coming year, which is expected to rise from the 16.1% margin reported in 2025.
