HUL beats cost pressures with price hikes, savings as net profit rises 3.9%

SENSEX 73,246.03

 -352.64

NIFTY 22,698.85

 -50.90

CRUDEOIL 9,854.00

+ 356.00

GOLD 143,700.00

 -438.00

SILVER 194,347.00

 -2,370.00

SENSEX 73,246.03

 -352.64

NIFTY 22,698.85

 -50.90

NIFTY 22,698.85

 -50.90

CRUDEOIL 9,854.00

+ 356.00

CRUDEOIL 9,854.00

+ 356.00

GOLD 143,700.00

 -438.00

'; } document.getElementById("lgdv").innerHTML = htmlElements; } function numberformat(i) { return Number(parseFloat(i).toFixed(2)).toLocaleString('en', { minimumFractionDigits: 2 }) } async function gatherResponse(response) { const { headers } = response; const contentType = headers.get('content-type') || ''; if (contentType.includes('application/json')) { return await response.json() } return response.text(); } function getWidth() { if (Math.max(document.body.scrollWidth,document.documentElement.scrollWidth,document.body.offsetWidth,document.documentElement.offsetWidth,document.documentElement.clientWidth) > 991) { document.getElementById("mob").style.display = "none"; document.getElementById("lgdv").style.display = "block"; } else { document.getElementById("mob").style.display = "block"; document.getElementById("lgdv").style.display = "none"; } } getWidth(); THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS.THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS.

Revenue grew 14.5% to ₹18,226 crore, supported by 7% underlying volume growth, even as EBITDA margins contracted by 140 basis points to 22.6%.

By Amit Vijay Mohile

Updated - October 28, 2026 at 10:05 PM.

Underlying sales growth reached 15 per cent, its highest in 14 quarters, with underlying volume growth of 7 per cent. Price increases of around 7.5 per cent helped offset higher input costs without derailing demand. | Photo Credit: DHIRAJ SINGH

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has weathered rising commodity costs to report a 3.9 per cent year-on-year increase in its consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders to ₹2,790 crore for the September quarter, while consolidated revenue from operations grew 14.5 per cent to ₹18,226 crore. This, as calibrated price increases, resilient consumer demand and cost savings cushioned inflationary pressures despite narrowing margins.

Standalone net profit rose 2 per cent to ₹2,844 crore, while turnover grew 15.2 per cent to ₹17,399 crore during the quarter.

EBITDA increased 8 per cent to ₹4,089 crore, although margins narrowed from 24 per cent to 22.6 per cent. Profit after tax before exceptional items grew 9 per cent, while reported profit growth was affected by a one-off ₹273-crore tax-related gain in the year-ago quarter.

Volume-led growth

Underlying sales growth reached 15 per cent, its highest in 14 quarters, with underlying volume growth of 7 per cent. Price increases of around 7.5 per cent helped offset higher input costs without derailing demand.

“The focus is to ensure that we do the right amount of pricing to cover costs, go behind savings, whether in procurement and supply chain efficiencies overall, so that we have the right balance between volume and price,” CEO and MD Priya Nair said during a post-results media interaction.

HUL added 30,000 stores during the quarter. CFO Niranjan Gupta said pricing was calibrated to recover absolute cost increases rather than preserve percentage margins. Advertising and promotion expenditure declined 9.3 per cent to ₹1,481 crore, reflecting procurement and advertising efficiencies.

Home-care margins squeezed

Home-care revenue rose 21.4 per cent to ₹6,878 crore, although the segment’s profit rose only 2.6 per cent to ₹1,111 crore. Management said home care achieved roughly 10 per cent volume growth despite price increases of around 10 per cent.

The divergence underscored pressure from raw materials, particularly in home care, where price adjustments lagged increases in input costs. Beauty and well-being delivered double-digit volume growth, while personal-care volumes remained flat. Personal-care segment profit fell 8.7 per cent to ₹449 crore.

Demand outlook

Urban and rural demand remained positive, said Nair, with the latter improving sequentially. HUL expects commodity inflation to remain elevated but retained its medium-term EBITDA margin guidance of 22-24 per cent.

The board also declared an interim dividend of ₹19 per share..

Published on October 28, 2026

THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS. THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS. THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS. THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS.Sign into Unlock benefits!

• Access 10 free stories per month
• Get notified by email for early preview to new features, discounts & offers