Unilever tops Q3 sales estimates, raises dividend

Unilever

Wed 07:11

Overview
UK consumer goods firm's Q3 sales rose 6.7% to €13.3 bln, beating analyst expectations
Q3 underlying sales grew 5.2%, driven by volume and price increases
Company raised quarterly dividend by 3% compared to Q3 2025

Outlook
Unilever expects 2026 underlying sales growth within 4% to 6% range
Company now sees at least 3% underlying volume growth for full year 2026
Unilever expects modest improvement in 2026 operating margin from 20.0% in 2025

Result Drivers
VOLUME AND PRICE GAINS - Co said Q3 underlying sales growth was driven by higher volumes and price increases to offset commodity costs
EMERGING MARKETS - Broad-based growth in emerging markets, especially India, Latin America and South East Asia, supported overall performance
COMMODITY COSTS - Price increases in Home Care and Personal Care were implemented to address higher commodity costs

Company press release: ID:nRSb7059Aa

Key Details
Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q3 Sales
Beat
EUR 13.3 bln
EUR 12.96 bln (5 Analysts)
Q3 Underlying Sales Growth
 
5.20%
 
Q3 Dividend
 
EUR 0.47
 

Analyst Coverage
The current average analyst rating on the shares is "buy" and the breakdown of recommendations is 9 "strong buy" or "buy", 6 "hold" and 2 "sell" or "strong sell"
The average consensus recommendation for the personal products peer group is "buy"
Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Unilever PLC is GBp5,600.00, about 14.5% above its October 27 closing price of GBp4,892.50
The stock recently traded at 17 times the next 12-month earnings vs. a P/E of 16 three months ago

Reuters Recommended Reads
Oct 27 - Dutch regulator blocks takeover of Unilever's Unox brand
Oct 28 - Unilever India posts higher profit on healthy demand
Oct 28 -  Higher prices lift Danone Q3 sales, Mizone in China weighs

For questions concerning the data in this report, contact Estimates.Support@lseg.com. For any other questions or feedback, contact reuters.support@thomsonreuters.com.

(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)