Strepsils maker Reckitt misses sales forecast on late flu season, but lower costs help
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Strepsils throat lozenges and Dettol cleaning products, missed expectations for fourth-quarter like-for-like net sales as a late flu and cold season dented demand for its over-the-counter medicines. Reckitt, whose products include Nurofen tablets, cold remedy Lemsip and Durex condoms, forecast full-year like-for-like net sales growth of 2% to 4%, and that it has so far this year seen a boost from sales in emerging markets India and China. The firm expects low-single digit sales growth in North America in the first quarter of the year, however, as U.S. pharmacies stock fewer products.