Bounty paper towels made by Procter & Gamble in a shop in Encinitas, California, the US. Picture: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has worsened commodity inflation, with Barclays analysts led by Lauren Lieberman estimating the main inputs used in personal care and household goods have risen about 50% for three straight months from a year earlier. Companies such as aluminium-foil maker Reynolds Consumer Products said earlier in 2022 they expected costs to abate as the year unfurled, and that, along with price increases they had implemented, would help boost profits.
In March, the first month to fully reflect the invasion’s effects, prices rose for all of the 13 commodities that Barclays tracks for personal- and household goods companies. They include chlorine, used to bleach paper products, and natural gas, which in addition to being used for energy is where many plastics come from.
Companies often hedge commodities and buy materials at different points of the year, which could affect when and how hard they are hit. But continued double-digit increases threaten to upend even the most careful hedging arrangements.
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