Hindustan Unilever Q4 Profit Jumps 20% to ₹3,002 Crore, Boosted by Divestment Gain

Heightened geopolitical tensions and rising volatility in global commodity prices are creating fresh uncertainty for consumer goods companies, but Hindustan Unilever Ltd has still delivered a steady performance in the March quarter while warning of near-term risks ahead.

According to a report by Fortune India, the FMCG major reported a 20% year-on-year rise in net profit to ₹3,002 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The increase was supported partly by proceeds from the divestment of its stake in Nutritionalab Pvt Ltd. Excluding exceptional items, profit after tax stood at ₹2,711 crore, marking a 4% rise compared to the same period last year.

Also Read: Pavanjit S Bedi Named CMO – Foods at Hindustan Unilever

Strong Growth Despite Headwinds:

Company leadership highlighted that the external environment remains challenging. “More recently, heightened geopolitical tensions have led to commodity and currency volatility,” said CEO and Managing Director Priya Nair. She added that the company is managing these pressures through disciplined cost savings, a strong supply chain, and carefully planned pricing actions.

Despite these challenges, the company posted healthy revenue growth. Turnover for the quarter rose 8% year-on-year to ₹16,207 crore. Underlying sales growth stood at 7%, while volume growth came in at 6%. This marked the strongest quarterly growth in 12 quarters, indicating a gradual recovery in demand conditions.

Profitability also improved slightly. EBITDA margin rose to 23.7%, up 40 basis points from the previous quarter. Absolute EBITDA increased by 6% to ₹3,841 crore, supported by steady sales and tight cost control.

For the full financial year FY26, revenue increased by 5% to ₹63,763 crore, driven mainly by 4% volume growth. Profit after tax before exceptional items stood at ₹10,324 crore, while reported profit was slightly higher at ₹10,652 crore. The company also announced a final dividend of ₹22 per share, taking the total dividend payout for the year to ₹9,633 crore.

Broad-Based Segment Growth Ahead:

Performance across segments remained broadly positive. Home Care was the strongest performer with 9% growth, its best showing in 11 quarters. Beauty and Wellbeing rose 8%, supported by strong hair care performance and good traction in premium skincare and cosmetics. Personal Care grew 5%, driven by skin cleansing products, while Foods also recorded 5% growth, helped by coffee and lifestyle nutrition brands. Tea sales, however, remained subdued.

The company also reached key brand milestones during the year, with Vaseline and Sunsilk each crossing ₹1,000 crore in annual turnover. This takes the total number of billion-rupee brands in its portfolio to 20.

Looking ahead, the company expects demand conditions to improve gradually, supported by better macroeconomic policies, although global volatility remains a key risk.