By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) -French spirits maker Pernod Ricard said it still expected sales to improve in fiscal year 2026 after reporting a well-flagged 7.6% fall in first quarter sales, due to weak consumer demand and destocking in China and the United States. Pernod, the world's second-biggest Western spirits group behind Diageo, said it continued to expect the improving sales trends to be skewed towards the second half of the year. The owner of Martell cognac, Mumm champagne and Absolut vodka – reported sales of 2.384 billion euros ($2.78 billion) from July to September, marking a like-for-like decline of 7.6%, compared to a company-compiled analyst consensus for a decline of 7.1%. Pernod Ricard's fiscal year started on July 1. Pernod Ricard and its rivals have suffered amid

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