Handelsbanken cuts Essity stock target to SEK 300.00

Published on 10/08/2026 at 11:18 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

In the second quarter of 2026, revenue was SEK 35.061 billion, up 5.70 percent. Essity stock costs EUR 23.31 on October 8, 2026 versus EUR 23.52.

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Essity (ISIN SE0009922164) stock was trading at EUR 23.31 at Lang & Schwarz on October 8, 2026 at 11:10 a.m. CEST, down 0.89 percent versus the prior close of EUR 23.52. Handelsbanken cut its Essity target from SEK 305.00 to SEK 300.00 on October 7, 2026, while keeping a buy rating, according to Placera.

Target cuts raise the pressure

The revised target keeps Handelsbanken constructive on Essity, but the lower figure adds to a pattern of more cautious broker assumptions. Affärsvärlden lists BNP Paribas at SEK 265.00 after SEK 275.00 on October 1, 2026, and Jefferies at SEK 247.00 after SEK 251.00 on September 30, 2026, both with weaker or neutral stances.

The mixed analyst picture matters because the latest quarter combined volume progress with margin pressure. Essity's second-quarter revenue increased 5.68 percent from SEK 33.177 billion in the first quarter to SEK 35.061 billion, while operating profit declined 8.34 percent from SEK 4.196 billion to SEK 3.846 billion, based on the quarterly figures listed by Affärsvärlden.

Margin remains the key test

Essity posted an 11.00 percent operating margin in the second quarter of 2026, down from 12.60 percent in the first quarter. That 1.60 percentage point decline means higher sales are not yet translating into equivalent operating leverage, a central issue for the next earnings update.

On the primary listing, Essity B was last quoted at SEK 260.50 on Nasdaq Stockholm on October 8, 2026 at 11:16 a.m. CEST. The same market context put Essity's market capitalization at SEK 176.5 billion and its 52-week range at SEK 239.40 to SEK 293.10.

Next report arrives October 22

Essity is scheduled to publish its interim report for the third quarter of 2026 on October 22, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. CET, followed by a management presentation at 9:00 a.m. CET, according to Yahoo Finance. The report will show whether volume growth can offset cost pressure and support a recovery in operating margin.

Essity B stock remains below its prior close

Essity B stock was trading at EUR 23.31 at Lang & Schwarz on October 8, 2026 at 11:10 a.m. CEST, down 0.89 percent versus the prior close of EUR 23.52. The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Essity B stock.