The drinks giant reported a 1.2% increase in sales to $4.9bn (£3.63bn) for the three months to 30 September 2026, with Guinness among its strongest-performing brands.
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Guinness boost
Guinness recorded double-digit growth in Africa and German-speaking European markets, while sales also increased by double digits in the US.
The stout delivered strong double-digit growth across Asia Pacific, particularly in Southeast Asia and Australia.
However, beer sales across Great Britain and Ireland declined by a low-single-digit percentage, which Diageo attributed to unusually hot weather and increased competition.
The figures follow Diageo’s full-year results in August, when Guinness continued to outperform the wider beer market and gain share in UK pubs despite a decline in group sales.
Challenging market
Across the wider business, Diageo reported sales growth of 2.4% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while sales in North America declined 3.6% amid continued challenging market conditions.
The company also reported growth across its whisky portfolio and Smirnoff RTD products.
Diageo chief executive Sir Dave Lewis said: “Overall, Q1 was in line with expectations, and we have reiterated our full year guidance.”
He added that the results represented “a small step in the right direction” despite ongoing pressures across the global drinks market.
