May 18, 2026 – 2.33pmBrambles has downgraded its earnings and sales forecasts, saying it could not find enough workers in the US to repair its wooden pallets to meet the demand from its large customers as they upgrade to automatic handling.The surprise news rocked investors’ confidence in the ASX stalwart and wiped out more than $5.5 billion of the company’s sharemarket value.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles