LONDON, March 13, 2026, 16:51 GMT
Haleon shares rose on Friday, with the London-listed stock up 1.26% at 377.7 pence by 1338 UTC, after the consumer health group started a 500 million pound buyback under which repurchased shares will be cancelled. 1
The gain matters because Haleon is still trying to recover from a sharp setback after its February outlook disappointed investors. On Feb. 25, the company forecast 2026 organic revenue growth of 3% to 5% — organic strips out currency swings and deals — and the shares fell as much as 6% as weak U.S. demand weighed on sentiment. 2
Thursday’s filing said HSBC would execute purchases on the London Stock Exchange, Cboe Europe and Aquis under an irrevocable agreement, and the programme will run no later than Aug. 19. All stock bought under the plan will be cancelled, the filing showed. 3
Haleon said on Friday it had also published its 2025 annual report, filed its U.S. Form 20-F and set a virtual annual meeting for April 29. The statement covered those documents and the AGM notice, without adding a new forecast. 4
Management says the pressure in the United States should ease. “We feel confident the U.S. will grow this year,” CEO Brian McNamara told Reuters after the February results, while Chris Beckett, an analyst at Quilter Cheviot, warned that “Many households feel financially stretched.” He said the squeeze is now visible even in over-the-counter medicines, which are sold without a prescription. 2
Haleon is also leaning harder into China as it looks for another growth leg. Reuters reported this week that the company is investing 65 million pounds in a new Shanghai oral-health plant and pushing Parodontax deeper into smaller cities; McNamara called China “an incredible market”, and oral health chief Jayant Singh said Sensodyne is used by about 11% of Chinese households, still well behind Haleon’s estimate of 29.8% for local leader Yunnan Baiyao. 5
The buyback also comes after Pfizer sold its last Haleon stake in March 2025, completing the exit from the business created from GSK and Pfizer consumer healthcare assets and spun off in 2022. 6
But the buyback will only do so much if U.S. shoppers stay cautious and promotions keep biting in vitamins and smokers’ health. Haleon’s 2026 forecast of 3% to 5% organic revenue growth still sits below the 4.4% analyst consensus Reuters cited in February, leaving investors waiting for clearer proof that volumes and market share are improving, not just the share count. 2
