FRANKFURT, Germany - German consumer chemicals group Henkel, maker of Persil washing powder, said Tuesday it was sticking to its full-year targets after a "solid" third quarter.

"Despite a difficult economic environment, Henkel reported a solid performance in the third quarter of 2014," said chief executive Kasper Rorsted.

In the period from July to September, net profit fell by 3.9 percent to 440 million euros ($546 million), but largely as a result of one-time charges and restructuring costs.

Adjusted for these, net profit rose by 6.7 percent.

Third-quarter sales rose by 1.2 percent to 4.236 billion euros.

Looking ahead, CEO Rorsted said Henkel would feel the effects of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and persistent political unrest in the Middle East.

"Overall, the economic outlook is becoming increasingly challenging. In this difficult market environment, agility and flexibility are key success factors. That´s why we will continue to further simplify and align our structures," he said.

In concrete terms, Henekl said it is pencilling in organic sales growth of between 3.0-5.0 percent.

The group upgraded slightly its forecast operating margin to "just under 16.0 percent" from 15.5 percent previously.

"We also continue to expect an increase in adjusted earnings per share in the high-single digits," Rorsted added.