Demand for Durex in Europe and China boosts sales at consumer goods giant Reckitt

Sales of Durex condoms in Europe and China are boosting consumer goods giant Reckitt.

Shares in the FTSE 100 firm, which also owns Dettol cleaner and Nurofen painkillers, soared 10 per cent, or 502p, to 5542p yesterday – a 17-month high.

Reckitt hiked its revenue expectations after racking up sales of nearly £7billion in the first six months of 2025, and operating profit of £1.71billion, beating analyst expectations of £1.66billion.

Sales were driven by a surge in demand in Europe and China, with its first non-latex condom achieving double-digit sales growth in France and Germany. It raised its sales growth expectations for this year to between 3 and 4 per cent from a previous forecast of 2 to 3 per cent.

It comes after Reckitt last week agreed to sell its cleaning products unit including brands such as Cillit Bang and Air Wick to US private equity firm Advent International for £3.6billion.

Reckitt, which will retain a 30 per cent stake, will refocus on its core brands, which also include Strepsils and Vanish.