Consumer goods giant Unilever (UL, Financial) reported slightly better-than-expected sales for the third quarter, driven by product innovation and a slowdown in price increases, attracting more shoppers. The company achieved a 4.5% growth in underlying sales, surpassing the analysts’ forecast of 4.2%.
Unilever's underlying prices saw a modest increase of 0.9%, while the underlying sales volume rose by 3.5%. Analysts had anticipated a 1% price increase and a 3.2% volume growth. The company has maintained its forecast for full-year underlying sales growth between 3% and 5%, with an underlying operating profit margin of at least 18%.
