London, Feb 15, 2026, 16:05 GMT — Market closed
- Croda (CRDA) ended Friday at 3,056p, slipping 2.46%. 1
- Full-year 2025 results are set for release on Feb. 24, the company said. 2
- JPMorgan bumped up its Croda price target to 4,000p earlier this week, sticking with its “overweight” rating. 3
Croda International (CRDA.L) slipped 77 pence to finish Friday at 3,056 pence, leaving shares lower as London wrapped for the week. The specialty chemicals firm makes ingredients for everything from consumer care to agriculture and pharma. 4
The UK market is shut on Sunday, but Croda’s full-year 2025 results drop Feb. 24, as flagged on its financial calendar. This one’s drawing interest: Croda is back to being a high-beta FTSE 100 play, with traders zeroing in on the outlook and any tweaks to the 2026 earnings trajectory. 5
The stock remains roughly 6% higher than last Friday, thanks to a big surge earlier in the week—though those gains have faded. Croda finished at 3,201p on Feb. 10, then slipped to 3,056p by the end of this Friday, according to price data. 6
Croda slipped on Friday, trailing the FTSE 100’s 0.42% gain. Shares closed roughly 9% off their 52-week peak at 33.73 pounds, with trading volumes topping the 50-day average, according to MarketWatch data. 7
Broker action is playing into the mix. JPMorgan kept its “overweight” rating in place—still looking for outperformance—and bumped up its price target to 4,000p from 3,600p in a fresh note this week. The bank also pointed to what it sees as a pending new mid-term financial framework tied to results. “We also expect the new mid-term financial framework … to reassure,” JPMorgan wrote. 8
Senior staff, including chief executive Steve Foots, picked up a few “partnership” shares at 3,100p apiece on Feb. 10 through the company’s employee share plan, according to a filing. They also got matching shares for free, a London Stock Exchange notice said. 9
Croda hasn’t issued a new trading statement since October. Back then, the company reaffirmed its forecast for 2025 adjusted pre-tax profit in the 265 million to 295 million pound range, measured at constant currencies — so, excluding FX impacts. Management flagged a “more challenging” trading environment and limited visibility on the order book heading toward the end of the year. Despite that, Beauty Actives grew, fragrances and flavours kept up double-digit increases, and crop protection began to recover. 10
Croda’s Dec. 12 pre-close aide memoire stuck with its previous guidance and detailed the impact of foreign exchange on reported earnings. Cost measures to reach an annual savings run-rate of roughly 100 million pounds by end-2027 were highlighted again. The company also warned that the summary restated earlier disclosures, without factoring in any subsequent changes.
The setup can go south just as fast. Should margin recovery falter, or if management narrows profit guidance or shows fresh worries about demand, that rebound in the stock could unravel in a hurry. Currency swings are still a headache too, with the company’s global reach leaving the door open for more volatility.
Feb. 24 is circled as the next big day: Croda’s full-year numbers land, and investors will be combing through for new targets. There’s also focus on whether management will finally detail that mid-term framework brokers flagged—or clarify how those cost cuts might actually drive returns.
