Know your Brands: Unilever PLC

In South Africa, you might remember using products like Vaseline, Domestos, Dove, Knorr, Knorrox, Ola, and Ponds while growing up. Well, these are just a few of the brands that belong to Unilever PLC.

Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company headquartered in London and Rotterdam. It's one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, with over 400 brands in over 190 countries. Unilever's products include food, home care, and personal care products.

Some of the brands include 👇

Disclaimer: The brands may not be limited to the logos on the image and may change. The use of logos are for educational purposes only.

The European brands accounted for 55% of Group turnover in the first half of its 2023 financial year (H1 FY23), which delivered underlying sales growth of 10.8%. Brands that contributed to this include Rexona, Hellmann's, OMO, Sunsilk, and Lux.

You can view the rest of the brands here.

Financial Dividend and Share Buyback

The company saw strong 9.1% underlying sales growth driven by all Business Groups for H1 FY23, with a 2.7% increase in turnover, reaching €30.4 billion. Underlying operating profit improved by 3.3% to €5.2 billion, and earnings per share increased by 3.9%, with diluted EPS up by 23.6%, boosted by disposals and reduced restructuring expenses. View full results here. 

It also completed the third tranche of its €3 billion ongoing buyback, valued at €750 million.

Unilever is listed in three markets (American, European, and British), and the company has a history of paying dividends quarterly, paying in different currencies in respective markets. The latest payout is expected to be on 31 August 2023.

Expansion

In June 2023, Unilever announced it would acquire Yasso, a frozen Greek yogurt bars, sandwiches, and mochi brand. Its products are available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The company said: 

"The acquisition is aligned with the premiumization strategy of Unilever's Ice Cream Business Group. Yasso joins other premium brands in the portfolio, including Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, and Talenti".

"This acquisition is a great step in the evolution of our Ice Cream portfolio in North America towards high-growth spaces," said Matt Close, who is the President of Unilever's Ice Cream Business Group.

The acquisition was completed in August 2023 after buying a major stake in Nutrafol, a dermatologist hair growth brand in the U.S.

Earnings 

The company is expected to release its earnings in October 2023. To invest in Unilever PLC, you can click here or head over to your EasyUSD, EasyGBP, and EasyEUR account.