Unilever Consumer Care's profit falls 12% in Q1 as revenue stumbles

Unilever Consumer Care Limited, a
multinational company listed on the capital market, posted a decline in both
its top and bottom-line revenue performances during the first quarter of 2026.
The net profit of the company
dropped 12% year-on-year to Tk12.11 crore in January-March this year, weighed
down by sluggish sales. Consequently, earnings per share (EPS) for the
three-month period stood at Tk6.29.
According to the company's
unaudited financial statements for the January–March period, the total revenue
of Unilever slipped by 8% to Tk87.44 crore compared to the same period a year
ago.
The revenue decline was
observed across its core product categories ranging from health and food drinks
including flagship brands like Horlicks, Boost, and Maltova – dropping by 9% to
Tk71.81 crore. Similarly, its glucose powder segment saw a 4% decline, bringing
in Tk15.62 crore.
In its final financial
statement, a leading player in Bangladesh's health and nutrition segment
Unilever Consumer Care Limited attributed the drop in profitability primarily
to lower net finance income and a marginal contraction in its gross margins.
However, the management noted that these negative impacts were partially offset
by strategic cost-optimisation initiatives within its operating expenses.
At the end of March
2026, the company's net asset value (NAV) per share stood at Tk 122.58 while
the net operating cash flow per share was recorded at Tk10.74.
Following the disclosure of
these results on the websites of the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges, the
company's share price inched down by 0.32% to settle at Tk2,070.90 on Tuesday.
The recent performance
follows a 420% cash dividend recommendation for the 2025 financial year, which
was notably lower than the 520% dividend declared in 2024. The proposed payout
is scheduled for final approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on 18
May.
Unilever Consumer Care,
formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Bangladesh, underwent a significant
transition in 2020 when Unilever acquired GSK's local health food drink
business for approximately Tk2,000 crore. Since the acquisition and subsequent
name change, the company has operated as a subsidiary of Unilever, focusing on
its dominant market share in the energy and nutrition drink segments.
















