Demant Shares Sink on Weak 2026 Outlook and Global Job Cuts

The sell-off followed the company’s revised guidance for 2026, which anticipates a market value growth rate of just 2% to 4%. Demant characterized the figure as a conservative assumption driven by general macroeconomic uncertainty. This forecast sits below the company’s long-term targets, prompting analysts at Jefferies to note that investor appetite for the consumer healthcare sector remains notably low. Shares fell to 193.50 Danish kroner in afternoon trading, extending a year-to-date decline of over 11%.

Missed Expectations and Currency Headwinds

For the current year, the company expects adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to land between 4.10 billion and 4.50 billion kroner ($647.3 million to $710.5 million). This range trails the 4.65 billion kroner projected by market analysts. Demant also flagged a potential 2% earnings headwind caused by exchange-rate volatility, while organic growth is now estimated between 3% and 6%, trailing the consensus expectation of 5%.

To counter these pressures, the company is launching a cost-reduction initiative aimed at saving 500 million kroner annually by 2028. The restructuring will result in 700 job cuts across its global operations, representing nearly 3% of its 26,700-strong workforce. According to the report, approximately 150 of these redundancies will occur in Denmark.