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Informist, Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026

 

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--HUL Jan-Mar net profit INR 29.30 bln
--Analysts saw HUL Jan-Mar net profit at INR 26.10 bln
--HUL Jan-Mar revenue INR 157.33 bln
--Analysts saw HUL Jan-Mar revenue at INR 161.10 bln
--HUL Jan-Mar net profit INR 29.30 bln vs INR 24.93 bln year ago
--HUL Jan-Mar revenue INR 157.33 bln vs INR 147.34 bln year ago
--HUL Jan-Mar net profit includes one-time income INR 2.24 bln
--HUL Jan-Mar profit excluding exceptional item INR 27.06 bln
--HUL to pay INR 22 per share final dividend
--HUL final dividend record date Jun 23
--HUL Jan-Mar continuing ops EBITDA INR 37.25 bln vs INR 34.66 bln year ago
--HUL Jan-Mar continuing ops EBITDA margin 23.9%, up 10 bps on year
--HUL Jan-Mar home care revenue INR 63.49 bln vs INR 58.18 bln yr ago
--HUL Jan-Mar beauty, well-being revenue INR 33.51 bln vs INR 31.13 bln yr ago
--HUL Jan-Mar personal care revenue INR 22.29 bln vs INR 21.24 bln yr ago
--HUL Jan-Mar food segment revenue INR 35.66 bln vs INR 34.16 bln yr ago
--HUL: Consol EBITDA margin to be around the current guided range
--HUL: See FY27 to be better than FY26 on portfolio, channel transformation
--HUL Jan-Mar consol underlying volume grew 6% on year
--HUL Jan-Mar consol underlying sales grew 7% on year
--HUL Jan-Mar home care segment underlying volume grew in high single digit
--HUL Jan-Mar home care segment underlying sales grew 9%
--HUL Jan-Mar beauty, well-being underlying volume grew in mid single digit
--HUL Jan-Mar beauty, well-being underlying sales grew 8%
--HUL Jan-Mar personal care underlying volume fell in low single digit
--HUL Jan-Mar personal care underlying sales grew 5%
--HUL Jan-Mar foods underlying volume grew in high single digit
--HUL Jan-Mar foods underlying sales grew 5%
--HUL FY26 net profit INR 154.27 bln vs INR 106.44 bln year ago
--HUL FY26 revenue INR 619.75 bln vs INR 596.76 bln year ago
--HUL MD: Geopolitical tensions have led to commodity, currency volatility
--HUL MD: Tackling geopolitical headwinds through calibrated pricing actions
--HUL MD: Tackling geopolitical headwinds through disciplined savings
--HUL: Underlying demand trend was stable in Jan-Mar
--HUL: Crude, crude-linked derivative costs escalated in Jan-Mar
--HUL Q4 cost of materials consumed INR 45.64 bln vs INR 41.81 bln yr ago
--HUL Jan-Mar advt, promotion spend INR 13.74 bln vs INR 13.67 bln yr ago
--HUL: Gained 400 bps market share in bodywash
--HUL: Crossed turnover of INR 40 bln in home care liquids portfolio
--HUL: Have committed INR 20 bln capex towards premium formats

 

By Avishek Rakshit

 

KOLKATA – A 6% on-year underlying volume growth, stable demand trends, and price hikes led Hindustan Unilever Ltd. to report its highest revenue growth in the past 12 quarters in the March quarter. However, it lagged Street's estimates.

 

The consumer goods major reported around 7% on-year increase in its net revenue to over INR 157 billion in the March quarter as against the Street's estimate of over INR 161 billion. The net profit, which rose over 17% on year to over INR 29 billion, however, beat the Street's projection of a little over INR 26 billion.

 

The net profit in the March quarter, however, includes a one-time income of INR 2.24 billion arising from stake sales in Nutritionalab Pvt. Ltd. for a consideration of INR 3.07 billion. Consequent to the sale, HUL made a net profit of INR 2.28 billion from the divestment inclusive of transaction costs. Excluding this divestment, the net profit stands at just over INR 27 billion.

 

HUL reported a 6% on-year growth in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation from continuing operations to INR 37.25 billion in the March quarter, in line with the Street's projection. The EBITDA margin improved by 10 basis points on year to 23.9%.

 

During the year ended March, HUL's top line increased nearly 4% on year to around INR 620 billion while the net profit increased by around 45% on year to over INR 154 billion.

 

"Financial year 2026 witnessed an improved demand environment driven by supportive macro-economic policies," Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Priya Nair said in a statement. "During the year, we took decisive actions to accelerate growth, including sharpening our portfolio, scaling investments to create desire at scale, strengthening frontline demand generation capabilities, and simplifying the organisation to drive speed, focus, and execution."

 

HUL has decided to pay INR 22 per share as the final dividend for the year ended March with the record date being June 23.

 

SEGMENTAL SHOW

 

The home care division, which accounts for around 40% of the company's revenue, registered an underlying sales growth of 9% on year at over INR 63 billion, marking its highest growth in the past 11 quarters. Fabric wash products delivered double-digit growth and household care items delivered high-single digit growth during the quarter under review. The liquids wash portfolio, which crossed INR 40 billion turnover, accelerated its robust double-digit growth trajectory, while powders and bars also recorded a step-up in performance. 

  

The beauty and wellbeing business division, which contributes 22% to HUL's total top line, delivered 8% underlying sales growth of over INR 33.5 billion with mid-single digit underlying volume growth. Hair care products reported strong double-digit growth and continued to strengthen its leadership position, HUL said in a statement.

  

The growth in the beauty and wellbeing business was broad-based across brands and formats. In skin care and colour cosmetics, strong performance in the premium portfolio was offset by subdued performance in mass skin care portfolio. However, skin care maintained its strong double-digit growth momentum in modern sales channels and continued to gain market share.

 

During the quarter, the sunscreen portfolio was strengthened through market development initiatives, including the launch of Lakme Sun Gel, which is priced at INR 10. In 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), the Vaseline and Sunsilk brands both crossed the INR 10 billion annual turnover milestone, taking HUL's total number of brands above INR 10 billion to 20 brands.

 

The personal care products division, which accounts for 14% of the top line, grew 5% on year in the March quarter to over INR 22 billion. Skin cleansing products delivered high-single-digit growth, driven by outperformance in Dove and Lux brands. Continued market development initiatives fuelled double-digit competitive growth in premium soaps and bodywash, HUL said in the statement. The company gained 400 basis points' market share in the bodywash product category in the March quarter. Oral care reported low-single digit growth while the Closeup brand strengthened its market share. In the quarter, presence in high-growth freshness segment was expanded through the launch of Lifebuoy Ice Bath brand.

 

The foods portfolio, accounting for 23% of the top line, delivered 5% underlying sales growth to nearly INR 36 billion, led by high-single-digit underlying volume growth. Tea reported low-single-digit underlying volume growth and coffee continued its strong double-digit growth momentum supported by volume and price, HUL said.

 

In the foods portfolio, lifestyle nutrition achieved double-digit growth, driven by strong performance in Horlicks and Boost brands. Expansion into new demand spaces, along with Horlicks relaunch is delivering early encouraging results, the company said.

 

Packaged foods reported mid-single-digit growth led by ketchup, chutneys, mayonnaise and Unilever Foods Solutions. During the quarter, the Horlicks master brand was extended into the fast-growing protein segment with the launch of Horlicks Protein ready-to-drink in four flavours. In tea, the premiumisation agenda was accelerated through the relaunch of Lipton Green Tea with a refreshed and youthful proposition, HUL said.

 

OVERVIEW & OUTLOOK

 

HUL said it has sharpened its priorities anchored in volume-led growth over the past quarters to unlock growth momentum and have committed INR 20 billion investment towards premium formats. It set up a dedicated quick commerce organisation while strengthening sales execution through an omni-channel approach and established a unified operating model in the country.  

 

"More recently, heightened geopolitical tensions have led to commodity and currency volatility. We are navigating these headwinds through disciplined savings, the resilience of our global and local supply chain and calibrated pricing actions," Nair said in the statement. 

 

While crude and crude-linked derivative costs escalated in Jan-Mar, HUL's cost of materials consumed rose to INR 45.64 billion in the March quarter as against INR 41.81 billion in the year-ago quarter. The company also marginally increased its expenses on advertising and promotions to INR 13.74 billion in the March quarter as against INR 13.67 billion in the year-ago quarter. 

 

At 1430 IST, shares of HUL traded 2.5% down at INR 2,254.80 on the National Stock Exchange. Ends

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj and Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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