BIC named mechanical pencils among the contributors to North American growth in its July 29 first-half results, even as reported sales fell in the wider Human Expression division.
The company identifies mechanical pencils alongside correction products and ball pens in the regional growth account. Its divisional results provide the wider context, including currency effects on reported revenue. BIC’s first-half results.
Two views of the division
| Human Expression, first half | Result |
|---|---|
| 2025 net sales | €406 million |
| 2026 net sales | €377 million |
| Reported change | −7.2% |
| Organic growth | +0.5% |
BIC’s reported division figures. Sales are rounded to millions; percentages are the company’s stated values.
The reported line records revenue in euros. Organic growth separates out currency movements and changes in the scope of the business to make periods more comparable. BIC’s bridge lists a −5.6% perimeter effect and a −2.1% currency effect alongside the small organic increase.
The distinction also prevents a promising pencil comment from disguising a softer division overall: second-quarter Human Expression organic sales fell 1.0%, even though the first-half measure remained positive.
Where the pencils enter
The pencil reference appears in the North American commentary. BIC describes distribution gains at specialist retailers and continued e-commerce strength. It does not disclose a mechanical-pencil revenue figure or a pencil-specific growth percentage.
Human Expression’s adjusted operating margin rose from 11.0% to 13.7%, a gain of 2.7 percentage points. BIC attributes that improvement mainly to U.S. tariff refunds and leaving underperforming businesses. The pencil growth comment is encouraging, but the division’s better margin has a broader explanation.
