Ansell shares: earnings jump and dividend rises in FY26 half-year

The Ansell Ltd (ASX: ANN) share price is in focus today after the company reported double-digit earnings growth and a lift in EBIT margin for the half-year ended 31 December 2025, while keeping its FY26 adjusted EPS guidance unchanged.

What did Ansell report?

• Total sales rose to US$1,026.6 million, up 0.7% on a reported basis
• EBIT (before significant items) increased to US$146.9 million, up 15.3%
• Adjusted EPS climbed 19% to US66.3¢
• Operating cash flow surged 71.8% to US$91.9 million
• Interim dividend of US26.60¢ declared, up 19.8%, with a 40% payout ratio
• Net Debt/EBITDA fell to 1.5x following share buybacks worth US$47 million

What else do investors need to know?

Ansell managed to offset the effects of higher US tariffs through price increases, especially in its industrial segment, helping maintain profit margins despite subdued trading conditions globally. Both its Industrial and Healthcare divisions delivered improved EBIT margins, thanks to increased synergies from its KBU acquisition and ongoing productivity programs.

The Accelerated Productivity Investment Program (APIP) reached its $50 million annual savings target, with cost-saving measures now shifting to IT upgrades and a system roll-out starting in North America. Ansell also resumed its on-market share buyback, with $47.2 million of shares repurchased in the half, supporting returns to shareholders.

What did Ansell management say?

Retiring Managing Director and CEO Neil Salmon said:

We delivered a strong set of first half results in what were subdued market conditions. Key investments made in recent years contributed to double-digit growth in earnings and a significant improvement in our EBIT margin, including higher synergies from the acquired KBU business and increased savings from our Accelerated Productivity Investment Program (APIP), which has now achieved its savings target of $50m… As we enter the second half, while we do not anticipate any meaningful improvement in market conditions, we continue to see growth opportunities in verticals and geographies favoured by increased public and private investment, enabled by our unmatched global presence and end-user focused sales approach. Based on this outlook, we are maintaining our guidance range for FY26 Adjusted EPS of US137¢ to US149¢.

What’s next for Ansell?

Looking ahead, Ansell expects organic constant currency sales growth in the second half, with market conditions likely to remain steady. The company is maintaining its FY26 adjusted EPS guidance between US137¢ and US149¢ and plans further investment in manufacturing and IT systems to support future growth.

Earnings momentum from the first half is expected to continue, backed by ongoing productivity improvements, KBU synergies, and a strong balance sheet. The company highlighted its focus on seizing growth opportunities in key global markets while delivering shareholder returns through dividends and buybacks.

Ansell share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Ansell hares have declined 13%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

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The post Ansell shares: earnings jump and dividend rises in FY26 half-year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has positions in Ansell. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.