HUL delivers a clean Q4 with cautious outlook 💰
FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever (HUL) posted a a decent Q4, with numbers that showed good growth, but failed to excite investors.
The numbers: Volumes rose 2% in the March quarter, ahead of expectations.
- Revenue: ₹15,213 crore, up 2.4% YoY
- Net profit: ₹2,493 crore, up 3.7% YoY—in line with estimates
Segment snapshot:
- 🧼 Home Care: ₹5,815 crore, up from ₹5,709 crore
- 💄 Beauty & Wellbeing: ₹3,265 crore vs ₹3,062 crore
- 🧴 Personal Care: ₹2,126 crore, flat from ₹2,063 crore
- 🍲 Foods: ₹3,896 crore vs ₹3,910 crore
Why care: markets generally look at large FMCG giants to understand what’s happening to the consumer. When growth is tepid, it may be signs that the consumer is starting to pull back a little.
But lately, these giants are themselves getting disrupted by new-age models, like quick commerce as well as modern brands which are favored by young consumers, which makes them a tough proxy for the broader economy.
Quick stat: Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart now account for nearly one-sixth of HUL’s ecomm sales—especially in fast-moving categories like ice cream, noodles, and shampoo.
This urban shift towards 10-minute delivery is forcing even legacy brands to rethink access and agility.
The company also expects lower profits on each sale—now aiming for 22–23% margins instead of 23–24%. It blamed rising cost pressures and the need to stay affordable.
Post announcement, HUL’s stock, which was up as much as 2.5%, did a full U-turn and closed down over 4%.
