DUSSELDORF – Today Henkel reported second-quarter sales fell 5% year-over-year to 3.49 billion euros.

Adjusted operating profit decreased 17.2% to 308 million euros. Net earnings for the quarter rose 257%, to 150 million euros.

Organic sales in the adhesive technologies business sector declined 15.4% year-over-year, but improved compared to the first quarter. Laundry and home care and cosmetics/toiletries had organic growth rates of 6.3% and 3.5%, respectively.

“Again in the second quarter of 2009, Henkel felt the effects of the continuing world economic recession,” said Kasper Rorsted, chairman of the Henkel management board. “Our laundry and home care business sector actually surpassed the good results of the first quarter, while cosmetics/toiletries again showed a very positive performance. Compared to the first quarter, we also registered an improvement at adhesive technologies.”

Henkel expects the difficult market conditions will persist through 2009. For the third quarter, the firm expects its consumer businesses to continue to perform well, with a degree of deceleration. The company expects the adhesive technologies business will develop similarly or slightly better than the second quarter. The firm’s outlook for the fourth quarter is unclear.

1 euro = US $1.4168