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Posted on 04/17/2026 6:47:35 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut on Thursday slashed its operating profit forecast, citing falling cocoa prices, industry overcapacity and potential supply disruption linked to the Iran war.
The company, which is the world’s largest chocolate maker, said it now expected earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to decrease by “mid-teens” percentage in its 2025 to 2026 fiscal year.
The outlook reflects a significant downgrade from just three months earlier, when the Zurich-headquartered company said it was preparing for a return to growth.
Hein Schumacher, who was appointed Barry Callebaut CEO in late January, said Thursday that the firm has an “unparalleled market position” and fundamental growth opportunities, while warning of a “turbulent period” of industry disruption.
“In the first half of our fiscal year, cocoa bean prices decreased, which is encouraging for future chocolate market momentum and supported strong free cash flow generation,” Schumacher said in a statement.
“Yet the unique speed of the market decrease combined with a competitive overcapacity market, volume declines and supply disruption impacted EBIT performance and adjusted our profitability outlook for the year as we prioritize restoring volume and leading the market back to growth,” he added.
Shares of Barry Callebaut fell as much as 17% on Thursday. The stock was last seen trading off by around 15.8% shortly after 2:30 p.m. London time (9:30 a.m. ET).
Cocoa prices fell 0.72% on Wednesday, reaching $3,537.28 per tonne. Despite rallying over the past week, cocoa prices have slumped 41.6% since the start of the year, and are down 57.6% over the past 12 months, according to Trading Economics data.
Like most commodities, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has impacted cocoa prices with restricted supply and higher costs. However, much stronger harvests compared to recent years, when prices have soared, have kept a lid on cocoa costs.
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Nope. It goes through the Hershey Highway.
Bad news in Chocolate City.
And it’s vanilla suburbs (Gainin’ on ya!)
You're thinking of the bird-torching Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in California.
There is a thermal solar energy plant in Arizona--the Solana Generating Station. It is a parabolic trough plant that uses molten salt thermal energy storage. That way the excess energy captured during the day can be used at night. No batteries needed.
Sounds good!
Not eating chocolate sounds like a lose, lose to me!
“The Great American Chocolate Bar” is the iconic marketing slogan and moniker for the HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate bar. First sold in 1900, the bar was designed by Milton S. Hershey to be a mass-produced, affordable, and high-quality milk chocolate for the American public. The slogan was created to emphasize its status as a superior, locally beloved alternative to European chocolates. I like it with almonds and a little peanut butter.
I guess they had ship loads of DUBAI CHOCOLATE stuck in the Straits.
/S
I pour Kefir over frozen blueberries, so it hardens like ice cream.
So, share with us; just when did you surrender your soul to Satan?
Greetings from one chocoholic to another. By the way, I find it kind of funny that “chocoholic” passes spell checker.
So they cancel each other out and were actually okay?
Ah yes Peak Chocolate scare of 2002
I’ll second the chocolates at Aldi. Nice packaging, too. They make nice gifts. :)
Eggs and chocolate—how much more do we need?
I was gonna say, ‘Now, do Coffee!’ I just re-stocked the other day. Yikes! The prices are stupid-high.
I’m still campaigning for my own milk cow, but Beau says he’s doing me a FAVOR by constantly telling me, ‘No Milk Cow!’
Oh, come on! Not even a Mini Jersey? They’re adorable!
I’d also like an Avocado tree, but that’s not gonna happen here in Zone 5a. ;)
Moser Roth truffles
Sounds like you need a goat—and a greenhouse.
What the hell does the Strait have to do with cocao prices?
BS liberal crap.
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