EL7.AI
StocksMedium•30 October 2026•
4 min read

Syngenta sales fall 10% to $5.2 billion in third quarter of 2026

Key Facts

1Syngenta sales were $5.2 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 10% year on year and 12% at constant exchange rates.
2The group recorded earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $0.8 billion in the third quarter, down 2% year on year and 4% at constant exchange rates.
3Group sales totaled $17.3 billion in the first nine months, down 5% year on year; underlying sales grew 1% after the specified exclusions.
4First-nine-month earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 1% to $3.2 billion, and the margin increased to 18.4% from 17.4%.
5Crop-protection sales at the Europe unit grew 6% in the first nine months, with most of the growth driven by currency.

Syngenta Group recorded sales of $5.2 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 10% from the same period a year earlier, according to results released by the company on October 30. The decline was 12% at constant exchange rates, while sales were $5.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025. The company said scaling back selected low-margin businesses and delayed purchases in some markets affected sales. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization also fell to $0.8 billion, a reported year-on-year decline of 2%, or 4% at constant exchange rates. The reported earnings figure thus remained at the same level as in the corresponding quarter, at $0.8 billion.

The quarterly results came amid a contraction in sales that continued through the first nine months, when group sales totaled $17.3 billion, down 5% from the same period in 2025 and 8% at constant exchange rates. The company said, however, that underlying sales grew 1% after excluding the planned scaling back of grain trading and certain other low-margin businesses. This detail puts the decline in reported revenue in the context of the group's decisions about its business mix, alongside delayed purchases in some markets. In the second quarter, sales were $5.7 billion, down 7% year on year and 10% at constant exchange rates. The reported rate of decline accelerated in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, as quarterly sales fell below their second-quarter level.

For profitability over the longer period, the group's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization reached $3.2 billion in the first nine months, up 1% year on year. The margin on these earnings rose to 18.4%, from 17.4% in the corresponding period of 2025, an improvement of 100 basis points. This contrasted with the decline in third-quarter earnings: the company said the quarterly figure was $0.8 billion, down 2% year on year and 4% at constant exchange rates. The figures show that improved margins and accumulated earnings during the first nine months did not prevent profitability from declining in the latest quarter. They also distinguish the earnings trend over the extended period from the result for the quarter alone.

Syngenta attributed some of the weakness in demand for crop-protection products to ongoing drought in Europe, where conditions were unusually hot and dry, according to its statement. However, the region's business unit sales performance over the first nine months does not reflect a broad-based decline: crop-protection sales were $9.8 billion, flat year on year and down 4% at constant exchange rates, while growth in Europe and China offset lower sales in Latin America. The unit's sales in Europe grew 6%, with most of the increase driven by currency effects. On farmer demand, Reuters reported that higher fertilizer, fuel and energy costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East, along with rising interest rates, prompted them to delay spending on spraying and seeds. The company cites drought and hot, dry conditions as factors affecting demand for crop-protection products, while Reuters links delayed purchases to higher input costs and interest rates.

Results from other activities showed divergence across markets and products. Syngenta Group China recorded sales of $0.7 billion in the third quarter, compared with $0.9 billion in the corresponding period of 2025. By contrast, the company said sales of biological products continued to grow strongly, posting double-digit growth in the third quarter, supported by strong sales since the start of the year, particularly in Brazil and China. It also said innovation and commercial momentum in crop protection continued, with more than 1,400 approvals secured in the first nine months, including new registrations, renewals and extensions of use or labels. Alongside the revenue figures, these indicators present a picture of weakness in some markets and continued growth in other products and activities.

The results come as the company moves toward a leadership change at its Seeds and ADAMA units. Syngenta announced that Gaël Héli will take over as head of Syngenta Seeds from November 1, 2026, and that he will be succeeded by Zigang Hao as ADAMA's president and chief executive. In the context of a potential Hong Kong listing, Reuters reported on October 27 that Syngenta's advisers are targeting a valuation of at least $66 billion, with the offering likely to be completed early next year. The report said banks are marketing the offering at a multiple of 15 to 20 times projected 2026 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The group recorded earnings on this measure of $4.4 billion in 2025, up 17% from the previous year, according to Reuters.