Hindustan Unilever Q2FY26 profit, revenue beat estimates; Shares rise 1.5%

HUL Q2FY26 Results: Hindustan Unilever Ltd, India’s largest FMCG company, reported its September quarter results on Thursday, surpassing Zee Business estimates and reaffirming its resilience amid challenging market conditions.

The company posted a net profit of Rs 2,694 crore, higher than the Zee Business estimate of Rs 2,520 crore, aided by a one-time gain of Rs 184 crore. On a standalone basis, revenue stood at Rs 15,585 crore, slightly below the projected Rs 15,800 crore, but marking a 0.5 per cent year-on-year growth, compared with the expected 0.8 per cent decline.

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EBITDA for the quarter was Rs 3,563 crore, marginally above the estimated Rs 3,558 crore, reflecting a 2.3 per cent decline from last year. The EBITDA margin stood at 22.9 per cent, higher than the 22.5 per cent forecast but below the previous year’s 23.8 per cent. Underlying volume growth remained muted at 0–1 per cent year-on-year, indicating subdued demand recovery in certain categories.

The results follow HUL’s earlier business update, which had warned of a transitory impact due to GST-related trade and channel disruptions. About 40 per cent of the company’s portfolio has now shifted to the 5 per cent tax slab from 18 per cent, with the full impact expected to be felt in October and recovery anticipated from November.

Investors and analysts are also closely tracking the first quarterly performance of new MD & CEO Priya Nair, who took charge earlier this year. Market watchers are keen to understand her strategy on driving volume growth, innovation, and demand recovery across key FMCG categories.

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Following the results, HUL shares gained up to 2.7 per cent intraday, before cooling slightly to trade 1.38 per cent higher at Rs 2,627.40 at 11:54 am IST. Over the past month, the stock gained Rs 107.70 or 4.27 per cent, while on a year-to-date basis, it has surged Rs 307.80 or 13.26 per cent, reflecting steady investor confidence in the company’s growth trajectory despite market challenges.