Procter & Gamble Co's quarterly revenue and adjusted profit beat Wall Street expectations on Tuesday, sending shares to a record-high even as the world's No.1 personal goods company took an $8 billion charge on its Gillette shaving business. P&G reported a net loss of about $5.24 billion, or $2.12 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, due to an $8 billion non-cash writedown of Gillette. For the same Period last year, P&G's net income was $1.89 billion, or 72 cents per share. Cincinnati-based P&G, which operates in 80 countries, sells Gillette razors, gels and foams worldwide and said the writedown was due primarily to currency fluctuations. The charge was also driven by more competition over the past three years and a shrinking market for blades and razors as consumers in developed markets shave less frequently. Net sales in the grooming business, which includes Gillette, have declined in 11 out of the last 12 quarters. "Initial carrying values for Gillette were established nearly 14 years ago in 2005. ... new competitors have entered at Prices below the category average," Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said on a call. P& paid $57 billion in 2005 for Gillette, the world's No.1 shaving brand that is more than a century old. But in the 2010s technology altered the way consumers purchased razors, and relaxed social norms prompted men to shave less often, according to a Euromonitor report. In the past 5 years, the US men's market for shaving products has shrunk by over 11%, the data firm said. — Reuters
