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Unilever Upgrades 2026 Sales Outlook Amid Lower Net Profit in First Half

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Unilever Upgrades 2026 Sales Outlook Amid Lower Net Profit in First Half

Unilever (ULVR.L, UNA.AS) shares rose Tuesday as it upgraded its sales outlook for 2026 while reporting lower attributable net profit for the first half of the year.

The consumer goods company said Tuesday it now expects underlying sales growth for the 12 months ending Dec. 31 to be within its multi-year guidance range of 4% to 6%, with 3% of underlying volume growth. It previously expected underlying sales growth to be at the bottom end of that range, with 2% underlying growth.

Unilever also anticipates pricing to drive underlying sales growth of 4% to 5% in the second half.

In the first half, the group reported a year-over-year decline in total net profit attributable to shareholders' equity to 3.32 billion euros from 3.51 billion euros. On the other hand, turnover for the comparable period increased to 25.62 billion euros from 25.51 billion euros.

"We have delivered a strong volume-led performance in the first half, with a significant step-up in the second quarter - the best volume quarter at Unilever in over a decade. Our Power Brands continued to outperform, with all Business Groups delivering volume-led growth. Emerging markets showed momentum - India, Indonesia and Latin America all delivered strong growth - while North America again outperformed its market," said Chief Executive Officer Fernando Fernandez.

Unilever's board declared a quarterly dividend of 0.4664 euro per share, in line with the first quarter and 3% higher compared with the prior-year period. The dividend will be paid on Sept. 18 to shareholders on record as of Aug. 7.

Shares of the company gained 6% in London and Amsterdam in early morning trading.

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