Unilever Consumer Care's profit falls 12% in Q1 as revenue stumbles
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.
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.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
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.
