Unilever (NYSE:UL) Issues Earnings Results

Unilever (NYSE:UL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion.

Here are the key takeaways from Unilever’s conference call:

• Portfolio reshaped — completed the ice‑cream demerger and rotated 15% of the portfolio with bolt‑ons (Minimalist, Wild, Dr. Squatch) and targeted disposals to concentrate on Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care.
• Financial resilience — underlying operating margin expanded to 20%, underlying EPS rose to EUR 3.08 (up 0.7%) and free cash flow was EUR 5.9bn (100% cash conversion), despite a significant negative FX drag.
• Investment behind winners — brand & marketing investment increased to 16.1% of turnover, with 100% of incremental spend allocated to Power Brands, which grew ahead of the group (Power Brands +4.3% for the year, +5.8% in Q4).
• Productivity and capital discipline — the productivity programme is ahead of schedule (≈EUR 670m saved, target EUR 800m in 2026), overheads fell 50 bps and >50% of CapEx is directed at productivity/margin initiatives, supporting sustained margin expansion.
• Outlook and market dynamics — management guides 2026 underlying sales at the lower end of the 4%–6% range with volume growth of at least 2% and modest margin improvement, while emerging markets show sequential recovery but LatAm and currency risks remain.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL traded up $1.19 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $74.65. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,033,742 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,571,349. The business has a fifty day moving average of $66.46 and a 200 day moving average of $67.91. Unilever has a 1 year low of $61.11 and a 1 year high of $74.98.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings raised Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Unilever this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unilever announced a €1.5 billion share buyback after reporting margin improvement following the ice‑cream spin-off — a direct capital-return that supports the share price. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year results show net profit up strongly (to €9.47bn for 2025) with underlying sales growth of ~3.5% and volumes +1.5%, signaling improving operating momentum after the strategic reshaping. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and presentation provide management commentary on the spin‑off benefits, margin drivers and outlook — useful for parsing how sustainable the margin gains are. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Company slide deck / presentation is available for detailed segment and cash‑flow metrics that investors will scrutinize for buyback funding and margin sustainability. Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 headline results included a significant EPS miss: reported $0.75 vs. consensus $1.75, which is pressuring near‑term sentiment and raises questions about quarterly earnings volatility. Earnings Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Reported revenue for the quarter (around $11.87bn) came in well below an expected figure cited in reports, amplifying concerns about short‑term top‑line weakness despite full‑year improvement. Earnings Summary

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Pullen Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 28,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,683,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.9% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,873 shares of the company’s stock worth $585,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in Unilever by 0.5% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 40,080 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,376,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.