Unilever posts higher Q3 sales, confirms outlook as ice cream spinoff delayed

Unilever on Thursday reported a 3.9% rise in third-quarter underlying sales, driven by a 1.5% increase in volume and 2.4% from price, and confirmed its full-year guidance.

The maker of Dove soap and Hellmann's mayonnaise said total turnover was 14.7 billion euros, a 3.5% decrease from the prior year, which it attributed mainly to a 6.1% negative impact from currency fluctuations.

The company also confirmed the planned demerger of its ice cream business has been delayed due to the ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown, though it remains confident of completing the separation in 2025, according to a company statement.

Growth was broad-based across all business groups, with the Beauty & Wellbeing division posting the strongest underlying sales growth at 5.1%.

Chief Executive Fernando Fernandez said, "Our performance excluding Ice Cream showed good sequential improvement, with a step up in volume growth."

The company said performance in emerging markets improved sequentially to 4.1% growth, helped by a return to growth in Indonesia and China.

Unilever reiterated its full-year outlook for underlying sales growth to be within its 3% to 5% range.