Ben & Jerry ice cream pinches are visible on a shelf at Ideal Fresh Market of Church Ave on March 19, 2024 in the Brooklyn Borough Flatbush district in New York.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty images
Giant consumer goods Unite Thursday, published a slightly lower than expected sales growth and highlighted a moderate beginning until 2025, although it expects that this is reversed in the second half.
The company has also provided an update on the spin-off of its ice cream company, which houses brands such as Ben and Jerry’s and Magnum, saying that it would be disorganized by a triple inscription.
The manufacturer of Dove Soap and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise posted a 4% increase in sales underlying in the fourth quarter, slightly missing the 4.1% increase forecasts in a compiled estimate.
The underlying sales of the full year increased by 4.2% compared to a compiled analyst consensus composed of the company by 4.3%. This was led by volume growth of 2.9%. The underlying operating margins reached 18.4% against 18.3% estimated. The two figures were in accordance with the annual forecasts of the company.
Unilever’s shares fell 6.7% at 9:29 am London time.
The CEO, Hein Schumacher, told CNBC on Thursday that growth was carried out by the 30 so -called power brands of the company – which include Dove, Comfort, Vaseline and Liquid IV – and have been appointed as a key objective of the plan growth in the company announced in November.
“The 30 electricity brands actually increased before the company’s average in the fourth quarter, 5.3%,” Schumacher told Julianna Tatelbaum.
Sharing its 2025 prospects, the British firm said it expected an annual online sales growth with its multi -year range from 3% to 5%. He also declared that he provided for a “modest improvement” of the underlying operating margin, which would be carried out in the second half.
“We see slow markets. We see that continuing in the first quarter. Despite the markets … We aim to grow before the competition. I think that was what was done in 2024 and we want to start over in the First quarter, but we see more difficult circumstances overall, “said Schumacher.
Consumer goods companies were under pressure during recent quarters, as the increase in input costs increased higher prices and led consumers to increase to alternatives unless costs and private brands.
Addressing CNBC on Wednesday, however, Jon Cox, head of European consumption actions at Kepler Cheuvreux, said that he now seemed that the prospects of the sector improved.
“Maybe the corner turned after what was a fairly dramatic couple in consumers’ space,” said Cox in CNBC “Street Signs Europe” on Wednesday.
“By entering this year, we should see a more standardized price environment, but moreover, many of these guys now invest more in the development of new products, more daring innovations and at the same time marketing more widely than them. “”
Cox added that these developments could reverse some of the losses of sharing against private brand goods and further accelerate volume growth.
NestleThe largest packaged food company in the world, published Thursday Annual sales growth which was online with expectations while at the bottom of the previous year. The Swiss company also underlined an increase in sales of 2025, with the exception of important macroeconomic challenges.
Schumacher d’Unilever recognized a “bifurcation” of the consumer market, but said that the company hoped to find a part of the pocket, especially in its range of high -end products.
“Consumers, yes, they buy value, but they also tend to buy more premium products,” he said
Ben & Jerry spin-off
Unilever, which houses around 400 brands, is looking to sell several food lines with combined sales of around 1 billion euros ($ 1.04 billion), said Schumacher FD in December.
Schumacher did not name the specific brands, but it follows an announcement in March in which Unilever turn your ice cream unit.
In an update on Thursday, the company said that the unit would be separated via an excess, with announcements in Amsterdam, London and New York – the same three exchanges on which Unilever shares are currently negotiated – and that it was On the right track at the end at the end of 2025.
“The De-Merger is on the right track,” said Schumacher to Julianna Tatelbaum from CNBC, adding that Mesterdam would be the main list of the company.
When we asked him if Unilever still envisaged a possible sale of his ice cream unit, Schumacher said that the company was “absolutely focused on the remuneration of the unmovers in a successful way. This is what all our actions “.
