Procter & Gamble reported earnings for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2025 on Tuesday, July 29th. Despite operating in a challenging and volatile market environment, the company reported positive organic sales growth of 2%, though results fell shy of analyst expectations. Even so, the company continued to generate profit growth and continued executing on the plan to return high levels of cash to shareholders.
What We Like
P&G delivered 2% organic sales growth and earnings per share (EPS) beats without leaning on aggressive pricing—a sign of underlying brand strength. Improved productivity offset margin headwinds from cost inflation and tariffs.
All five main business units—Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric and Home Care, and Baby, Feminine and Family Care—posted 1-2% organic growth, with Beauty flattish and the others up ~1-2% each.
Strategic continuity is underscored by Shailesh Jejurikar’s internal promotion to CEO amid the ongoing restructuring—a signal to many that leadership changes are execution driven, not directional shifts.
During the full fiscal year 2025, over $16 billion of cash was returned to shareholders via dividends and stock buybacks.
What Bears Watching
The structural cuts and brand discontinuations could disrupt sales in select markets—strategic effectiveness will depend on how rapidly productivity gains accrue from headcount reduction and minor portfolio exits.
Well-known headline risks—tariffs and commodity inflation—remain; consumer spending may remain cautious and price-sensitive. While price increases were modest, the company plans to institute incremental price increases soon on ~25% of U.S. SKUs to offset an estimated $1 billion of tariff-related costs.
On the call, CFO Andre Schulten described cooling consumer behavior, with shoppers delaying purchases, buying smaller pack sizes, or relying on discounts—a few key signs that demand headwinds are likely to continue in the coming quarters.
Personnel Changes and Leadership Transition
- CEO Transition Announced: COO Shailesh Jejurikar will succeed CEO Jon Moeller effective January 1, 2026. Moeller will become executive chairman, providing counsel to the Board and Jejurikar. Jejurikar, a longtime P&G executive, has held leadership roles across Fabric & Home Care, Health & Beauty Care, and emerging-market operations. He has also been nominated to stand for election to P&G’s board at the October 2025 shareholder meeting.
- The change is positioned as a planned, orderly succession, in line with P&G’s preference for internal promotion.
Layoffs and Restructuring Progress
In June 2025, P&G launched a two year restructuring plan to reduce non manufacturing overhead by up to 7,000 jobs (~6% of workforce), and to exit select low-growth brands and markets.
During the earnings call, management confirmed the restructuring remains on track; remaining roles will be broadened, teams will shrink and consumer data-sharing will be enhanced across brands. Implementation is underway across markets including Asia, Europe and Latin America.
While specific regional or segment-level job reductions have not yet been disclosed, Moeller emphasized the goal of accelerating productivity and strengthening P&G’s integrated growth strategy.
Bottom Line
P&G reported a solid fourth quarter and FY 2025, delivering 2% organic sales growth and 6% core EPS growth, and outperformed expectations despite a challenging macro backdrop. While consumer caution and tariff-driven cost pressure emerged as near term risks, management reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook and long-term strategy. The quarter demonstrated resilient brand momentum, margin discipline and a continued effort to return cash to shareholders.
Management affirmed its sweeping restructuring alongside a high profile leadership transition. As Shailesh Jejurikar prepares to take over as CEO in January 2026, execution of the ~7,000 job reduction and portfolio simplification will be critical. Along with rising tariff costs and cautious consumer trends, the company faces a balancing act—one that P&G seems structurally prepared to manage with disciplined brand focus and operational leverage.