Shareholders Will Probably Not Have Any Issues With Danone S.A.'s (EPA:BN) CEO Compensation

Key Insights

• Danone's Annual General Meeting to take place on 24th of April
• CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique's total compensation includes salary of €1.40m
• The overall pay is comparable to the industry average
• Danone's total shareholder return over the past three years was 48% while its EPS grew by 2.2% over the past three years

This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality.

CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique has done a decent job of delivering relatively good performance at Danone S.A. (EPA:BN) recently. This is something shareholders will keep in mind as they cast their votes on company resolutions such as executive remuneration in the upcoming AGM on 24th of April. We present our case of why we think CEO compensation looks fair.

See our latest analysis for Danone

Comparing Danone S.A.'s CEO Compensation With The Industry

Our data indicates that Danone S.A. has a market capitalization of €48b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as €6.1m for the year to December 2024. That's slightly lower by 3.6% over the previous year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at €1.4m.

For comparison, other companies in the French Food industry with market capitalizations above €7.0b, reported a median total CEO compensation of €5.1m. This suggests that Danone remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. What's more, Antoine de Saint-Affrique holds €553k worth of shares in the company in their own name.

Component	2024	2023	Proportion (2024)
Salary	€1.4m	€1.4m	23%
Other	€4.7m	€5.0m	77%
Total Compensation	€6.1m	€6.4m	100%

On an industry level, around 51% of total compensation represents salary and 49% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that Danone allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. If total compensation is slanted towards non-salary benefits, it indicates that CEO pay is linked to company performance.

A Look at Danone S.A.'s Growth Numbers

Over the past three years, Danone S.A. has seen its earnings per share (EPS) grow by 2.2% per year. The trailing twelve months of revenue was pretty much the same as the prior period.

We would argue that the lack of revenue growth in the last year is less than ideal, but the modest improvement in EPS is good. It's hard to reach a conclusion about business performance right now. This may be one to watch. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..

Has Danone S.A. Been A Good Investment?

Most shareholders would probably be pleased with Danone S.A. for providing a total return of 48% over three years. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size.

To Conclude...

Seeing that the company has put up a decent performance, only a few shareholders, if any at all, might have questions about the CEO pay in the upcoming AGM. However, we still think that any proposed increase in CEO compensation will be examined closely to make sure the compensation is appropriate and linked to performance.

CEO compensation can have a massive impact on performance, but it's just one element. We've identified 1 warning sign for Danone that investors should be aware of in a dynamic business environment.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.