EPOS acquisition boosts sales and profit forecast.

 

ACCO Brands has raised its full-year sales and earnings per share forecast after second quarter sales and adjusted EPS exceeded its expectations.

 

For the three months ended 30 June 2026, reported revenue increased 5.1 per cent year-on-year to US$415.1 million. 

 

However, the top-line growth was driven almost entirely by the recent acquisition of EPOS and favourable foreign exchange, with comparable sales declining 2.3 per cent. 

 

ACCO Brands acquired EPOS, a Denmark-based global leader in premium commercial and enterprise audio accessories, earlier this year. 

 

Adjusted operating profit for the quarter edged up 2.1 per cent to US$48.1 million, as lower underlying volumes were offset by ongoing cost reductions. 

 

CEO Tom Tedford said the company had delivered a strong quarter, citing better-than-expected back-to-school shipments in North America and a solid performance in Mexico. 

 

He added that the integration of EPOS remained on schedule and the acquisition was supporting ACCO’s strategic pivot towards technology peripherals. Around US$20 million of savings have now been delivered under the company’s $100 million multi-year cost reduction programme.

 

ACCO Brands International

International sales increased four per cent to US$152.2 million, benefiting from the EPOS acquisition and favourable foreign exchange. On a comparable basis, however, Q2 sales fell 9.3 per cent year on year.

 

The company attributed the decline to weaker demand across office products, particularly in EMEA and Australia, while shipments were also disrupted by a planned warehouse management system upgrade at its largest EMEA distribution centre. 

 

Tedford added that ACCO’s cost savings and cash flow position have given the vendor the flexibility to invest in organic and inorganic growth initiatives, including another acquisition.

 

BIC reports slight organic growth

 

BIC’s Human Expression stationery-focused division reported slight organic growth in the first half of 2026.

 

The business unit generated H1 revenue of €377 million (US$434 million), a year-on-year decline of 7.2 per cent versus 2025’s €406 million. However, after adjusting for divestments, closures and currency effects, the figure represented an

organic improvement of 0.5 per cent, compared with a drop of 7.8 per cent 12 months ago.

 

Europe: net sales declined due to slow back-to-school sell-in in the mass market retail channel in countries such as France and the UK. This was partially offset by solid performance in other countries such as Spain and Poland. BIC’s newly launched products performed well, including the Pastel and Mineral Highlighters ranges as well as the new Vibbies collection, which was supported by impactful media campaigns.

 

North America: organic sales grew significantly, fuelled by distribution gains at specialised retailers and continued robust performance in e-commerce. In H1, the stationery market was up 2.1% in value (according to Circana data), while the ball pen segment remained under pressure. Key products contributing to growth included correction products, ball pens and mechanical pencils.

 

For more on these stories and other global news from OPI, go to https://www.opi.net/news/region/001-north-america/acco-raises-outlook/