Unilever Q1 underlying sales rise 5.7%, beat estimates

The Dove soap maker also said that it expects to deliver underlying sales growth of 3-5 per cent in fiscal 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

Unilever on Thursday reported higher-than-expected underlying sales growth for the first quarter, buoyed by double-digit increases in India and China.

Underlying sales rose 5.7 per cent in the three months ended March, beating the 3.9 per cent analysts had expected, according to a company-supplied consensus.

The Dove soap maker also said that it expects to deliver underlying sales growth of 3-5 per cent in fiscal 2021, with the first half at around the top of this range. Underlying operating margin is expected to increase slightly in the full year, it said in a statement.