Essity stock enters Q3 countdown as buyback reaches SEK 1.5 billion

Published on 10/04/2026 at 09:19 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Essity stock was at SEK 257.40 on October 2, 2026, 12.2 percent below its 52-week high. Q2 revenue reached SEK 35.06 billion, while EPS was SEK 3.94 versus SEK 4.34 forecast.

Essity AB SE0009922164: Trading-Floor Nasdaq Stockholm mit Sektor-Charts — Essity AB (ISIN SE0009922164) im Börsen-Editorial mit Trading-Floor der Nasdaq Stockholm und Branchen-Charts, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Essity stock (ISIN SE0009922164) was last at SEK 257.40 on Nasdaq Stockholm on October 2, 2026 at 5:29 p.m. CEST, up 0.35 percent from the prior close. The hygiene group is approaching its October 22 report while its buyback program has passed SEK 1.5 billion in cumulative purchases.

Buyback reaches SEK 1.5 billion

According to Nasdaq Stockholm on September 21, 2026, Essity repurchased 397,967 Class B shares between September 14 and September 18, 2026, at a weighted average price of SEK 264.2234.

The purchases lifted cumulative buybacks under the SEK 3 billion program to 5,562,472 shares worth SEK 1,499,513,546. Essity held 6,802,595 Class B shares in treasury on September 18, 2026, while total shares stood at 681,945,171.

Q2 revenue beat the forecast

For Q2 2026, Investing.com reported revenue of SEK 35.06 billion against a SEK 34.63 billion forecast. EPS was SEK 3.94, below the SEK 4.34 forecast, while organic sales growth reached 0.3 percent and volume growth was 1.4 percent.

The same Q2 2026 summary put operating cash flow at SEK 2.8 billion and adjusted EBITA at SEK 4.7 billion, equal to a 13.4 percent margin. That combination gives the October report a clear test: revenue exceeded expectations, but profitability remains below Essity's long-term EBITA margin target of more than 15 percent.

Analyst targets remain divided

Investing.com lists a neutral consensus from 15 analysts, with an average 12-month target of SEK 268.87. That target lies 4.45 percent above the SEK 257.40 reference price, while the published range runs from SEK 215 to SEK 320.

The dispersion reflects different views on cost inflation, pricing power and margin recovery. Barclays had a Sell rating and a SEK 230 target on September 29, 2026, while Kepler Cheuvreux had a Buy rating and a SEK 320 target on September 3, 2026, according to Investing.com.

Stock stays below yearly high

Essity B stock's 52-week range was SEK 239.40 to SEK 293.10 as of October 2, 2026, placing the reference price 12.2 percent below the high. The next checkpoint is the interim report for January 1 through September 30, 2026, scheduled for October 22, 2026, according to Nasdaq Stockholm.