Ahold Delhaize cuts outlook after cyberattack hits sales

Ahold Delhaize has disclosed that the cyberattack it disclosed in mid-October will reduce its fourth-quarter sales by about €200 million to €250 million, equivalent to roughly $224 million to $280 million. The company stated the incident, which disrupted operations in the United States and the Benelux region, occurred after the third quarter closed and is driving a downward revision of its 2026 outlook.

The hit to underlying and IFRS operating income for the fourth quarter is estimated at €75 million to €100 million (about $84 million to $112 million), with additional incident response and remediation costs expected but anticipated to have only limited effect on 2026 IFRS operating income.

Ahold Delhaize’s revised guidance reflects a weaker earnings trajectory, with diluted underlying earnings per share, at constant exchange rates, projected to grow in the low single digits rather than the mid to high single digits previously forecast. The retailer now expects free cash flow of around €2.1 billion (about $2.36 billion), down from at least €2.3 billion ($2.58 billion). The company attributed the reduction to the cyberattack and to newly introduced Serbian supplier payment rules.

In its latest results release, it noted that most disruption was contained within two weeks and that work continues to restore normal operations, while emphasising the resilience of the business.