Shares slide after Diageo profit warning following decline in Latin American markets

Sales in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) market are now expected to decline by more than 20% in six months 

Ivan Menezes, chief executive of Diageo

Guinness maker Diageo said on Friday that it expected organic operating profit growth to decline in the first half of its current financial year due to its "materially weaker" performance in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Shares in the world's largest spirits company fell 8.5% to 2,970 pence in early trading, making it the top loser on London's blue-chip FTSE index.

"Macroeconomic pressures in the region are resulting in lower consumption and consumer downtrading," the world's biggest spirits company said in a statement.

"These impacts are slowing down progress in reducing channel inventory to appropriate levels for the current environment."

Sales in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) market, which generates nearly 11% of total sales, are now expected to decline by more than 20% in the six months ending in December, the company added.

Meanwhile, in Europe, growth continues to be strong despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, albeit the pace is slower than the second half of the previous financial year, Diageo said.

For the year ended on the 30th of June, the maker of Tanqueray gin and Don Julio tequila narrowly beat earnings estimates as sales of its more expensive liquor brands offset lower volumes.

Reuters