Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is gearing up for its latest earnings report while navigating a challenging market environment marked by intensifying competition and evolving consumer behavior. Over the years, the consumer goods behemoth has maintained its market leadership, supported by its highly efficient supply chain, brand superiority, and strong digital push. Notably, P&G’s exposure to recent import tariffs is relatively lower compared to most consumer-focused peers due to its long-term strategy of maintaining a localized U.S. production footprint.
Q2 Report Due
When the company reports its second-quarter results on January 22, before the opening bell, the market will be looking for total sales of $22.33 billion and earnings of $1.87 per share. In Q2 2025, the company earned $1.88 per share on sales of $21.88 billion. In the past two quarters, both sales and earnings topped expectations, and the trend is expected to continue this time.
After starting 2026 on a weak note, Procter & Gamble’s shares have gained strength and have been trending upward since last week. It remains to be seen whether this momentum will continue ahead of next week’s earnings. The company has faced a rough patch for over a year, following a steady decline since its all-time high at the end of 2024. It has lost around 5% in the past six months. Having raised its dividend consecutively for more than six decades, P&G is one of the longest-standing members of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index.
Q1 Outcome
P&G reported higher sales and earnings for the first quarter. Net sales rose 3% annually to $22.4 billion in Q1, with organic sales growing 2% amid flat volumes and a modest increase in pricing and mix. Core earnings, which exclude special items, moved up 3% from last year to $1.99 per share in the September quarter. On a reported basis, net earnings attributable to the company grew by one-fifth year-over-year to $4.75 billion or $1.95 per share. Both sales and profit surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.
From P&G’s Q1 2026 Earnings Call:
“We will continue to accelerate productivity in all areas of our operation, including the recently announced restructuring work, to fuel investments in superiority, mitigate cost and currency headwinds, and drive margin expansion. We have an objective for growth savings in cost of goods sold, of up to $1.5 billion before tax, enabled by platform programs with global application across categories with Supply Chain 3.0. We have a line of sight to savings for improved marketing productivity, more efficiency, greater effectiveness, avoiding excess frequency, and reducing waste while increasing reach.“
Road Ahead
In a recent statement, P&G leadership said it expects full-year 2026 sales to rise 1–5% year-over-year, with organic sales growth projected to be flat to up 4% versus the prior year. Core earnings are forecast to be flat to up 4% in FY26. The business remains in the midst of a restructuring focused on cost reduction, right-sizing, and streamlining the brand portfolio. The company has also appointed COO Shailesh Jejurikar as its new CEO, effective January 1, 2026, succeeding Jon Moeller.
The average price of Procter & Gamble’s stock for the last 12 months is $157.75. On Wednesday, the shares mostly traded higher during the session.