Danone, FR0000120644

Danone stock gains after rating upgrade as bonds raise debt

Published on 09/22/2026 at 15:40 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Danone stock rose 0.5 percent to EUR 60.56 on September 22, 2026, after Deutsche Bank moved to Hold. H1 sales reached EUR 13.94 billion.

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Danone stock rose 0.5 percent to EUR 60.56 in early trading on Euronext Paris on September 22, 2026, after Deutsche Bank upgraded the shares from Sell to Hold. The valuation call followed a close of EUR 60.26 on September 21, when the stock fell 0.46 percent from EUR 60.54.

Deutsche Bank keeps target near market

According to Investing.com on September 22, 2026, Deutsche Bank raised its rating from Sell to Hold while leaving the price target at EUR 61. The target was only EUR 0.44 above the early price of EUR 60.56, leaving a quantified gap of 0.73 percent.

A separate MarketScreener report dated September 22, 2026, put the year-to-date decline at 21.4 percent and said the forward price-to-earnings ratio had fallen from 18.7 times to 14.5 times. That comparison explains why the bank softened its rating despite retaining a target close to the share price.

Half-year sales rose 1.4 percent

Danone reported first-half 2026 sales of EUR 13.936 billion, compared with EUR 13.737 billion in the same period of 2025, according to Sina Finance on September 22, 2026. The increase was EUR 199 million, or 1.4 percent.

The same report said first-half operating profit reached EUR 1.854 billion, up from EUR 1.811 billion a year earlier, while group net income rose to EUR 1.246 billion from EUR 1.231 billion. Operating profit therefore increased by EUR 43 million, or 2.4 percent, faster than sales.

Bond issue adds a balance sheet signal

Danone announced a triple-tranche bond issue totaling EUR 1.5 billion on September 21, 2026. According to Yahoo Finance, the press release was issued in Paris at 6:00 p.m. CEST, with settlement scheduled for September 28, 2026.

The financing is a concrete counter-factor to the valuation argument: the transaction broadens Danone's funding base but also adds debt to the capital structure. The shares remain 24.8 percent below the 52-week high of EUR 80.14, while the September 21 low of EUR 60.02 was only EUR 0.24 below the close.

Stock remains near yearly low

Danone closed at EUR 60.26 on Euronext Paris on September 21, 2026, with a daily volume of 853,661 shares and a market capitalization of EUR 44.66 billion. The primary listing is therefore trading close to its 52-week low of EUR 60.02 and materially below the average analyst target of EUR 79.93.