Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has its FY26 interim results, showing continued momentum in its performance with revenue of NZD 13.9 b in the first half of the financial year.
Fonterra announced an interim dividend of 24 cents per share, fully imputed from continuing operations and confirmed a special Mainland dividend of 16 cents per share, fully imputed, representing 100 percent of Mainland Group’s FY26 earnings while under Fonterra ownership.
The Co-op has also lifted its forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint for the season from NZD 9.50 per kgMS to NZD 9.70 per kgMS, with the range changing from NZD 9.20 - NZD 9.80 per kgMS to NZD 9.40 - NZD 10.00 per kgMS.
Given the strength of these interim results and Fonterra’s contracted commitments for the second half of the year, the Co-op has also adjusted its full-year earnings guidance for continuing operations from 45-65 cents per share to 50-65 cents per share.
CEO Miles Hurrell said these changes to the forecast Farmgate Milk Price and earnings reflect improvement in global commodity prices and the Co-op’s strong underlying margins and cost control, but notes that significant volatility remains, particularly as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
“The underlying performance of Fonterra’s continuing business is stable, allowing the Co-op to return all earnings associated with the Mainland Group business and lift our forecasts for the remainder of the year ahead,” he said
“ Demand for our products is strong, and we’re focused on our plan to maximise both the Farmgate Milk Price and earnings.”
The record date for the two dividend payments will be the 30th of March, and the payment date will be the 14th of April. This is also the date Fonterra is targeting for payment of the NZD twp per share capital return from the Mainland Group divestment, based on the transaction completing at the end of March.
Business performance
Total Group reported operating profit increased to NZD 1,231 million from NZD 1,107 million the year prior.
Reported profit after tax is NZD 750 million, equivalent to earnings per share of 45 cents and up on 44 cents last year. When excluding the costs associated with the Consumer divestment, Fonterra’s normalised earnings per share are 51 cents.
The Co-op delivered a Return on Capital of 11.2 percent, up on this time last year and in line with the target range of 10-12 percent.
Hurrell said the first half of the year has been shaped by strong milk flows, with the Co-op collecting record milk volumes in the South Island so far this season.
When combined with several adverse weather events, these conditions have put pressure on the operations of all New Zealand milk processors.
"We have been able to navigate through these challenges due to the resilience of our network," he said.
"Our performance shows that we are growing the high-value parts of our business through optimal allocation of milk solids across our product mix, which is driving a strong return on capital for shareholders and unit holders."
Fonterra’s market performance has been strong, with the Ingredients business delivering a return on capital of 11 percent and Foodservice a return on capital of 12.6 percent.
These results have been driven by the protein portfolio in the Ingredients channel and improved pricing in Foodservice to successfully recover the lift in butter and cream input costs seen last year.
Mainland Group performance improved during the first half of this year, primarily due to a favourable commodity price cycle.
Progress on strategy
Over the course of FY26, Fonterra has made significant progress on the divestment of its global consumer and associated businesses, Mainland Group, to Lactalis for NZD 4.22 billion. The transaction is unconditional and is expected to be completed at the end of March 2026.
The Co-op’s focus now is firmly on its strategy to grow value for farmers as a global B2B dairy nutrition provider, working closely with customers through our high-performing Ingredients and Foodservice channels.
The foundation of the Co-op is the New Zealand milk supply. Fonterra has made it easier for new farmer suppliers to join the Co-op and share in over time through changes to its shareholding requirements, with greater flexibility in the level of investment required.
“We are focused on maximising value from farmers’ milk and are building new manufacturing capacity across several New Zealand sites to help meet growing demand for our high-value proteins, butters and creams.”
Outlook
Looking ahead, the conflict in the Middle East has impacted the supply chain and has the potential to increase Fonterra’s inventory levels and costs over the course of the second half of the year. There’s also the potential for further volatility in global commodity prices.
The conflict is a complex and dynamic situation that is changing daily, but we are confident that we’re on the right track to get product to customers.
“Our business is designed to manage volatility. Our scale and strong relationships with customers and logistics provider Kotahi will help us to navigate through these challenges better than most. With this in mind, we remain focused on delivering on our strategic targets.”
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