Ansell AGM 2026: FY27 EPS guidance of US158¢ to US170¢ maintained
At the 2026 Annual General Meeting on 9 November 2026, management at Ansell outlined a trading update that maintains FY27 Adjusted EPS guidance at US158¢ to US170¢. The CEO told shareholders that continued strong US demand supported good constant currency sales growth in the first quarter.
The Chair and CEO addresses, delivered by Chair and CEO Nathalie Ahlström respectively, also revisited FY26 results, strategic priorities and board changes. The presentation detailed guidance that is before Significant Items and excludes the effects of the on-market share buyback.
FY27 trading update
Management outlined the following points on trading so far in FY27:
- Good constant currency sales growth in the first quarter, driven by the US.
- A positive EBIT margin trend, supported by supply chain productivity and operational excellence initiatives, including select organisational changes to implement more customer focused ways of working.
- Key input costs below peak levels reached in late FY26 but still elevated, with the flexibility to adjust prices when required.
- Capex still expected to be in the range of $45 million to $55 million for the full year, prioritised towards higher growth business segments.
- The first of the commercial ERP system upgrades completed, with North America going live on the upgraded system in early October.
The guidance slide also noted a moderate strengthening in the USD and that macroeconomic uncertainty persists, although the environment is in line with expectations.
Nathalie Ahlström, Chief Executive Officer
“We have made real progress this year, but we are just getting started.”
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FY26 results recap: sales, margin and cash all higher
Management revisited FY26 as the foundation for the current year. The summary financials shown to shareholders are below.
| Metric | FY26 | Change | Organic CC change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | US$2,140.2m | 6.8% | 5.0% |
| Adjusted EBIT | US$321.9m | 14.1% | 14.9% |
| Adjusted EBIT margin | 15.0% | 90bps | 140bps |
| Adjusted EPS | US148.6¢ | 17.8% | 18.5% |
| DPS | US68.1¢ | 35.7% | n/a |
Other points from the FY26 recap:
- Adjusted sales growth was 5.7% (excluding temporary order pattern favourability), with US and Cleanroom sales each up 10% and second-half growth of 9.2%.
- Cash conversion rose to 113% from 91% in FY25, and net debt/Adjusted EBITDA was 1.3x. An approximately $118m share buyback was funded from operating cash flow.
- Full year DPS carried a payout ratio of 45%.
- Adjusted EPS was at the upper end of the guidance range and the best since FY21, which the presentation noted benefited from pandemic demand.
Strategic priorities and growth proof points
The CEO described three levers: two growth levers and one funding lever. The growth levers are commercial excellence, which aims to enhance value to customers, and a focus on strategic markets. The funding lever is operational excellence, intended to increase return on capital employed.
Management cited several proof points:
- US sales grew at 1.8 times the group rate, led by premium industrial and scientific segments.
- The Accelerated Productivity Investment Program achieved its recurring saving target of US$50 million.
- Where Amazon has deployed the co-developed Ringers impact protection glove, hand injuries have fallen 65%.
On product innovation, the CEO pointed to a new TouchNTuff single use glove launched earlier this year, described as the first in the market to be resistant to acetone for at least 15 minutes.
Ebola response and sustainability
On the Ebola outbreak in Africa, the presentation said over 10,000 protective suits are being used every day. Ansell ramped up supply within 2 weeks to fill critical gaps and is collaborating with NGOs on future contingency inventories and next-generation PPE for filovirus outbreaks.
Sustainability metrics for FY26 included:
- Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate down 32% versus FY25.
- Scope 1 and 2 emissions 36% below the FY20 base year, with a target of net zero by 2045.
- First climate-related financial disclosures published under AASB S2.
Governance and leadership
The Chair noted that Nathalie Ahlström commenced as CEO in February, and that Erik Van den Enden joined as Chief Financial Officer in September. Shareholders were asked to approve the election of Jonas Samuelson, who joined the Board on 1 March, while Leslie Desjardins and Bill Reilly retire from the Board at the conclusion of the meeting.
The Chair also addressed Mediceram, a Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers that represented less than 0.1% of Ansell’s total global supplier spend. During FY26 the company reviewed the scope and prioritisation criteria of its Supplier Management Framework and expanded engagement with ceramic former suppliers.
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