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Informist, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026

 

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--HUL Oct-Dec net profit INR 70.75 bln 
--Analysts saw HUL Oct-Dec net profit at INR 25.56 bln 
--HUL Oct-Dec revenue INR 158.05 bln 
--Analysts saw HUL Oct-Dec revenue INR at 161.56 bln 
--HUL Oct-Dec net profit INR 70.75 bln vs INR 30.01 bln year ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec revenue INR 158.05 bln vs INR 151.46 bln year ago 
--HUL Apr-Dec net profit INR 124.97 bln vs INR 81.51 bln year ago 
--HUL Apr-Dec revenue INR 462.42 bln vs INR 449.42 bln year ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec net profit includes one-time income of INR 45.16 bln 
--HUL Oct-Dec profit excluding exceptional income INR 25.59 bln 
--HUL Oct-Dec continuing ops EBITDA INR 36.40 bln vs INR 35.64 bln year ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec continuing ops EBITDA margin 23.3%, down 50 bps on year 
--HUL Oct-Dec home care revenue INR 58.90 bln vs INR 57.42 bln yr ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec beauty, well-being revenue INR 35.95 bln vs INR 34.38 bln yr ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec personal care revenue INR 23.71 bln vs INR 22.46 bln year ago 
--HUL Oct-Dec food revenue INR 36.89 bln vs INR 34.83 bln year ago 
--HUL to acquire balance 49% stake in Zywie Ventures for INR 8.24 billion 
--HUL Oct-Dec new labour codes implementation cost INR 1.13 bln 
--HUL Oct-Dec advt, promotion spend INR 13.84 bln vs INR 14.45 bln yr ago 
--HUL consol underlying volume grew 4% in Oct-Dec 
--HUL consol underlying sales grew 5% on year in Oct-Dec 
--HUL consol home care underlying sales grew 3% in Oct-Dec 
--HUL consol home care underlying volume grew 'mid-single digit' in Oct-Dec 
--HUL consol beauty, well-being underlying Q3 volume up 'low single digit' 
--HUL consol beauty, well-being underlying Q3 sales grew 6% on year 
--HUL foods consol underlying volume grew 'high single digit' in Oct-Dec 
--HUL foods consol Oct-Dec underlying sales grew 6% on year 
--HUL: Expects FY27 to be better than FY26 
--HUL: Consol EBITDA margin to be around current guided range 
 

 

By Anshul Choudhary and Ruchira Kagita 

 

MUMBAI – Hindustan Unilever Ltd. reported a sharp jump in net profit for the December quarter due to a one-time fair gain on account of the demerger of the ice-cream business. The company also managed to beat most analysts' expectations of volume growth but revenue growth fell short of the consensus estimate.

 

The company's net profit during the quarter more than doubled on year to INR 70.75 billion, beating analysts' estimate of INR 25.56 billion. With the demeger of ice-cream business effective from December, the company reported its earnings without the ice-cream business and included a one-time fair gain of INR 45.16 billion, which was reported as part of discountinued operations.

 

The company also incurred an additional one-time cost of INR 1.12 billion. Excluding the fair gain on the ice-cream business and the one-time cost, HUL's profit was INR 26.71 billion, still above expectations. Its adjusted net profit was up more than 8% on year.

 

The company's revenue for the quarter was up just over 4% on year at INR 158.05 billion--slightly below the Street's expectation of INR 161.56 billion. However, it was better than the marginal rise in sales in the year-ago quarter, and the 1?ll in the September quarter.

 

The company's consolidated volume rose 4% on year, better than the expectations of most brokerages. Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation from continuing operations was up 2% on year at INR 36.40 billion on a standalone basis. Its EBITDA margin fell 50 basis points on year to 23.3%, more than the fall of up to 40 bps expected by brokerages. The consolidated EBITDA margin was also 23.3%, but the fall was higher at 70 bps.

 

The company expects the consolidated EBITDA margin to remain in the guided range from here. At the start of the financial year, the company had guided for EBITDA margin in the range of 22-23%. The company plans to keep its focus on volume-led revenue growth, which should lead to better revenue growth in 2026-27 (Apr-Mar) compared to FY26, it said in a presentation post the earnings.

 

Shares of HUL were down soon after the company announced its earnings, falling as much as 4.6% to the day's low. The stock pared some of its losses later and, at 1248 IST, was down just over 1% at INR 2,431.60 on the National Stock Exchange. The company reported its quarterly earnings during market hours.

 

SEGMENTAL PERFORMANCE

HUL's largest segment of home care posted quarterly sales of INR 58.90 billion, up nearly 3% on year, with underlying volume growth in mid-single digit. The company said the segment achieved its highest quarterly market share. Growth for the segment was led by its liquids portoflio both in fabric wash and household care category.

 

HUL's beauty and wellbeing portfolio reported revenue growth of nearly 5% on year at INR 35.95 billion in the December quarter. The segment's volumes were up in low single digit. The company's hair care and winter portfolio of skin care products led the volume growth, but this was offset by a weak performance in the non-winter portfolio. Hair care and skin care winter portfolio volumes were up in double digits.

The company said its wellness and nutrition brand OZiva sustained its performance in the reporting quarter and grew in double digits. On Thursday, HUL announced it would acquire the remaining 49% stake in Zywie Ventures, which owns the OZiva brand, for INR 8.24 billion.

 

Revenue from the personal care segment was INR 23.71 billion during the quarter, up nearly 6% on year. The growth in revenue was led by pricing and premiumisation because the segment's volumes actually declined in low single digit. Skin cleansing brands posted growth in mid single digits with premium skin cleansing bars posting double digit growth. The Minimalist brand delivered double-digit growth, the company said.

The foods segment, which reported its earnings without the ice cream business, reported a nearly 6% year-on-year rise in revenue at INR 36.89 billion during the quarter. Double-digit growth in coffee and high single digit growth in packaged foods and nutrition products aided growth. However, the growth was hit by price cuts taken for tea products to pass on the benefit of lower commodity costs. Volume growth in the foods business was in high single digits.

 

Demerger of the ice cream business helped improve margin for the segment as the foods segment margin improved to 21% in the December quarter from 20% in the year-ago quarter.

 

For the nine months ended September, HUL reported a consolidated net profit of INR 124.97 billion and the same from continuting operations was INR 80.82 billion, largely unchanged from a year ago. Its revenue during the nine-month period was INR 462.42 billion, up nearly 3%.

 

HUL announced it will sell its minority stake of 19.8% in Nutritionalab Pvt. Ltd. for INR 3.07 billion. The company wants to double down on fewer products, and push for bigger bets.  End

 

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

 

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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