London, June 16, 2026, 13:09 BST
- Unilever was changing hands around 4,367p in London, adding 0.2%–0.3%. The FTSE 100 climbed roughly 0.6% with a pickup in risk appetite across the market.
- Unilever’s volume growth, the €1.5 billion buyback, and the McCormick foods deal are all in focus, but this move looks more like a reaction in the market than a response to company actions.
- Unilever will report Q2 and Half-Year 2026 results on July 28. The next numbers are due then.
Unilever PLC shares ticked higher in London Tuesday but lagged behind the FTSE 100’s gains. Hargreaves Lansdown was quoting Unilever at a sell price of 4,366p and a buy at 4,367p, up 10p or 0.23%. Trading Economics put shares at 4,367p, up 0.24% for the session. The FTSE 100 rose 0.6%; Reuters said weaker oil prices helped risk appetite and the index got a push from financials and industrials.
Unilever shares inched higher Tuesday, unusual for a consumer-staples stock and names like Dove, Persil, Hellmann’s, and Knorr, which investors tend to view as defensive with steady cash flow and dividends. There was no clear trigger from Unilever itself. The move seemed driven by changing sentiment in the market. Falling oil prices can sometimes ease inflation stress and help equities. But Unilever’s performance still relies on whether shoppers actually buy more, instead of just accepting price hikes.
Bulls aren’t leaving. Unilever reported 3.8% underlying sales growth in the last quarter, with 2.9% volume growth and 0.9% price growth. The company uses underlying sales growth as its headline sales figure. Volume matters—Unilever sold more actual products, not just more expensive ones. The Power Brands unit, which covers about 78% of turnover, was up 5.0% with 4.0% volume growth. CEO Fernando Fernandez said the business “started the year well with volume-led growth driven by our Power Brands.” For 2026, Unilever is aiming for underlying sales growth at the low end of 4%–6% and at least 2% volume growth. Unilever
Share buybacks have been adding to returns. Unilever finished its 2026 buyback on June 5, picking up 30,703,780 ordinary shares for around €1.5 billion. That means fewer shares, which can drive earnings per share higher if profits stay flat. But the bigger news is the Unilever Foods and McCormick deal. Unilever says it will become a €39 billion revenue pure-play for household and personal care, and both the company and its holders would get 65% of the foods merger plus $15.7 billion in cash, which could back more buybacks from 2026 to 2029.
Bears argue that investors aren’t buying into the overhaul, calling it too complex. Reuters reported back in March that Unilever and McCormick shares fell after the deal was announced, with investors pointing to problems around the structure, the process, and regulatory issues. “The market, so far, has not reacted well to the news,” Quilter Cheviot consumer staples analyst Chris Beckett told Reuters. James Edward Jones at RBC said the setup did “not strike us as a smooth way” to turn Unilever into a focused household and personal care company. Reuters
Unilever shares look “cautiously attractive” at current prices, but the risk is still there. LSEG data from Investors Chronicle shows a median 12-month price target of 5,210.26p from 17 analysts. That’s about 19.6% higher than the last close at 4,356.50p. Analyst opinions are all over the map: buy, outperform, hold, and sell calls are in the mix. Price targets at the low end are nearly at market, so analysts aren’t aligned here. Investors will be watching for the July 28 half-year update to see if there’s volume growth, improved margins, or news on separating McCormick that might move the shares. Investorschronicle
