Henkel AG & Co. KGaA operates, together with its subsidiaries, in the adhesive technologies and consumer brands businesses across Europe, India, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. It offers adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings for areas such as packaging and consumer goods, mobility and electronics, and craftsmen, construction, and professional industries. The company also provides hair styling, hair colorant, and hair care products, body care products, laundry and home care products including detergents, fabric softeners, dishwashing products, and hard surface and toilet cleaners, and distributes its products through brick-and-mortar stores, hair salons, and digital channels. Founded in 1876, it is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Wendel Completes €2.1 Billion Sale of Stahl to Henkel
Wendel finalized the sale of its stake in Stahl, excluding Muno, to Henkel for an enterprise value of €2.1 billion after receiving all required regulatory approvals. The transaction generated total net proceeds of approximately €1.14 billion for Wendel after debt and transaction costs, a multiple of 6.3 times its total investment since 2006, which included €427m of past proceeds, and an annualized IRR of over 15% over 20 years. That compares with a value of €960 million for Stahl in Wendel's net asset value published before the transaction announcement, as of September 30, 2025, a premium of about 20%. Wendel said the sale marks a key milestone in the roadmap it presented in early December 2025 and supports its long-term value creation and portfolio rotation objectives. In 2026 alone, Wendel announced significant asset disposals totaling €1.6 billion, completed the acquisition of Committed Advisors, and will return more than €500 million to shareholders, including a July share buyback representing 9% of its share capital.
MF.PA · Capital · Positive Wendel completed the €2.1bn Stahl sale, netting ~€1.14bn at a 6.3x multiple and ~20% premium to prior NAV, advancing its portfolio-rotation roadmap.
Stahl Group · Capital · Neutral Stahl is the asset being sold by Wendel to Henkel; the article reports the transaction but no standalone operational impact on Stahl.
HEN.XETRA · Capital · Neutral Henkel is the acquirer of Stahl for €2.1bn enterprise value, but the article gives no detail on the strategic or financial merits for Henkel.
Clariant to Receive CHF ~220 m as Wendel-Henkel Stahl Deal Closes
Clariant has acknowledged the closing of the Stahl transaction between Wendel SE and Henkel, a deal that triggers its contractual obligation to sell its minority stake. Clariant held a minority stake of 14.6 % in Stahl Group, and its participation in the closing results in a preliminary cash proceed of CHF ~ 220 m pre-tax. The company said the existing shareholder agreement included a contractual obligation for Clariant as minority shareholder to participate in the transaction following notification from Wendel SE. The announcement was made in Muttenz on 01 October 2026.
CLN.SW · Capital · Positive Closing of the Wendel-Henkel Stahl deal triggers Clariant's contractual sale of its 14.6% stake for ~CHF 220 m pre-tax cash
Stahl Group · Capital · Neutral Stahl Group is the asset being acquired by Henkel from Wendel, but the article gives no standalone impact for Stahl
MF.PA · Capital · Neutral Wendel is the seller in the Stahl deal whose closing triggers Clariant's stake sale, but no terms or impact for Wendel are given
HEN.XETRA · Capital · Neutral Henkel is the acquirer in the Stahl transaction, but the article gives no detail on terms or impact for Henkel
Judge blocks Henkel from buying Liquid Nails after FTC challenge
A US judge has permanently blocked Henkel from acquiring the Liquid Nails business from Pittsburgh Paint Co. after the Federal Trade Commission sued to stop the deal in December. US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled on Friday that Henkel is prohibited from buying the Liquid Nails business, which is owned by private equity firm American Industrial Partners. The deal would have combined two of the largest suppliers of liquid construction adhesives, with Henkel, the global leader in adhesives and maker of Loctite and LePage brands, acquiring a business that includes Liquid Nails, one of the best-known products in the category. PPG Industries sold its US and Canadian architectural coatings business to American Industrial Partners for $550 million in 2024.
Henkel Reports 3.2% Organic Sales Growth in First Half of 2026
Henkel AG & Co KGaA reported organic sales growth of 3.2% for the first half of 2026, driven by a 1.1% contribution from pricing and a 2.1% increase in volume. Reported sales reached EUR10.3 billion, down 0.5% year-over-year due to a nearly 4% negative foreign exchange impact. Adjusted EBIT margin was 15.7%, slightly up, with adjusted EBIT at EUR1.6 billion and adjusted EPS for preferred shares at EUR2.86, a 7% increase at constant currencies. Adhesive Technologies delivered organic sales growth of 4.5% on sales of EUR5.5 billion and an adjusted EBIT margin of 17.7%, while Consumer Brands grew 1.7% organically on sales of EUR4.7 billion with a stable margin of 15.3%. The company upgraded its full-year 2026 organic sales growth guidance for the group to 1.5% to 3.5% and for Adhesive Technologies to 2% to 4%, citing strong first-half performance and confidence in the business.
CuspAI Launches AI Materials Foundry with Over 45 Founding Members Including NVIDIA and Meta
CuspAI has launched the AI Materials Foundry, a global network uniting data, labs, compute, and scientific expertise to accelerate materials discovery, with over 45 founding members including NVIDIA, Meta, Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, Henkel, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and Lam Research. The network is orchestrated by CuspAI's proprietary AI platform, MIRA, which enables full discovery cycles from generative design through simulation, synthesis planning, and experimental validation, underpinned by the world's largest curated experimental materials datasets. NVIDIA will provide compute infrastructure, while Meta's Fundamental AI Research Team contributes its Universal Model for Atoms, a frontier atomistic chemistry model. Focus areas include semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing, with regional hubs in the United States, Europe, and APAC. CuspAI has raised over $650 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins, NEA, Temasek, NVentures, Bezos Expeditions, Samsung, and Hyundai Motor Group.
Artificial Intelligence › AI Compute & Accelerator Silicon Demand
Artificial Intelligence › Foundation Models & Research Labs Technology
CuspAI · Capital · Positive CuspAI launched the AI Materials Foundry with over 45 founding members and raised over $650 million, a major capital and partnership milestone.
META · Technology · Positive Meta's FAIR contributes its Universal Model for Atoms, showcasing its AI research leadership.
NVDA · Demand · Positive NVIDIA provides compute infrastructure, driving demand for its GPUs in AI-driven materials discovery.
005380.KO · Technology · Positive Hyundai Motor Group is a founding member and investor, gaining access to AI-driven materials discovery for advanced manufacturing and clean energy.
005930.KO · Technology · Positive Samsung is a founding member and investor, leveraging the network for semiconductor and advanced materials R&D.
8035.JP · Demand · Positive Tokyo Electron is a founding member, likely benefiting from increased demand for semiconductor equipment through the network.
FTC Says Henkel Deal Would Merge ‘Coke and Pepsi’ of Adhesives
The Federal Trade Commission urged a judge to block Henkel AG's $725 million purchase of part of Pittsburgh Paint Co., saying the deal would harm competition in the liquid-adhesive market by combining two of its biggest players. An FTC lawyer described the companies as the Coke and Pepsi of the adhesive world, noting that Henkel's Loctite and LePage brands and Pittsburgh Paint's Liquid Nails have long viewed each other as their main competition. Henkel's lawyer countered that the two companies hardly compete at all, with Liquid Nails focused on lower-priced adhesives and Loctite on higher-end products, and argued that large retailers have bargaining leverage and barriers to entry are low. The trial, which is being overseen by US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla without a jury, is expected to take several weeks.
Semiconductor alloy solder powder market to reach $1.2 billion by 2030
The global semiconductor alloy solder powder market is projected to grow from $0.91 billion in 2026 to $1.2 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 7%, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. The market expanded from $0.86 billion in 2025 to $0.91 billion in 2026, a 6.8% increase, driven by semiconductor manufacturing expansion, rising consumer electronics demand, and advancements in electronic packaging. Growth is further fueled by electric vehicle electronics, miniaturized components, and high-performance computing, with key trends including lead-free solder powders and fine particle size powders for advanced packaging. North America led the market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region. Major players include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, DOWA Holdings Co. Ltd., Tamura Corporation, and Indium Corporation of America, which recently introduced SiPaste C312HF for system-in-package applications and acquired SAFI-Tech to enhance its nanosilver sintering technology.
Semiconductors › Advanced Packaging & Test (OSAT) ▲Demand
Indium Corporation · Technology · Positive Indium introduced SiPaste C312HF and acquired SAFI-Tech to enhance nanosilver sintering, directly mentioned as a key trend.
5714.JP · Demand · Positive Market growth driven by semiconductor expansion and consumer electronics demand benefits DOWA as a major solder powder player.
6768.JP · Demand · Positive Market growth driven by semiconductor expansion and consumer electronics demand benefits Tamura as a major solder powder player.
HEN.XETRA · Demand · Positive Market growth driven by semiconductor expansion and consumer electronics demand benefits Henkel as a major solder powder player.
Methyl Methacrylate Adhesives Market Projected to Reach USD 2.46 Billion by 2030
The global methyl methacrylate adhesives market is projected to grow from USD 1.76 billion in 2025 to USD 2.46 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 6.9%. Growth is driven by rising demand in automotive, construction, and wind energy sectors due to the adhesives' high strength and fast curing. The two-part pre-mix system segment is expected to hold the largest market share, favored for its reliability and adaptability. Asia Pacific leads the market, fueled by rapid industrialization in countries such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Key players include 3M, Henkel, and Sika AG.
HEN.XETRA · Demand · Positive Growing demand for methyl methacrylate adhesives in automotive, construction, and wind energy sectors benefits Henkel as a key player.
MMM · Demand · Positive Growing demand for methyl methacrylate adhesives in automotive, construction, and wind energy sectors benefits 3M as a key player.
SIKA.SW · Demand · Positive Growing demand for methyl methacrylate adhesives in automotive, construction, and wind energy sectors benefits Sika as a key player.
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