Unilever Raises Annual Growth Forecast After Q3 Sales Beat

Unilever raised its annual volume growth forecast to at least 3% after reporting third-quarter underlying sales growth of 5.2%. This result exceeded analyst expectations of 4.8% and was primarily driven by strong performance in beauty, personal, and home care units.

Growth was concentrated in emerging markets, specifically India, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, while developed markets and the food sector showed weaker results. CEO Fernando Fernandez stated that the company successfully passed some inflationary costs to consumers without significantly impacting sales volumes.

The growth comes as other industry peers, including Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble, warn that the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran could force further price hikes to offset rising energy, freight, and raw material costs.