Makers of goods from chocolate bars and coffee to lawnmowers and industrial robots succeeded in passing on soaring costs to consumers, first-quarter earnings showed this week, allaying fears higher prices could dent demand for their products.

Some of Europe's biggest companies reported first-quarter sales increases, with KitKat maker Nestlé, Evian water owner Danone and Dulux paint maker Akzo Nobel saying they made the gains while raising their prices...