London, Feb 15, 2026, 11:06 GMT — Market closed.
- Unilever shares last closed up 1.4% on Friday in London.
- A board filing flagged a temporary external CEO role for Unilever’s senior independent director.
- Investors look to management appearances this week and the next dividend timetable.
Unilever shares ended Friday up 1.44% at 5,432 pence (£54.32), with the market now waiting for Monday’s open after the company disclosed a new external executive role for a senior board member. (Reuters)
The move matters because Unilever is coming off a busy stretch of results and guidance, and the stock has traded like a defensive name investors lean on when growth looks patchy. Management also set expectations for 2026 at the lower end of its long-term sales growth range. (Unilever)
With London shut on Sunday, attention turns to what executives say next and whether the stock’s bid holds into the new week. Unilever is due to appear at the CAGNY consumer conference on Feb. 17, a venue investors often use to pressure-test outlook language. (Unilever)
Unilever outpaced the broader FTSE 100 on Friday, and trading was heavier than usual on the London line, LSE data showed. (MarketWatch)
In a director declaration dated Feb. 13, Unilever said Susan Kilsby, its vice chair and senior independent director, will serve as executive chair of Fortune Brands Innovations from Feb. 12 and take on the duties of chief executive officer there from April 1 to May 13 during a transition. She has been on Fortune Brands’ board since 2015 and was appointed chair in 2021, the statement said. (Research Tree)
In U.S. trading, Unilever’s New York-listed shares last traded at $74.59, up about 1.5% on the day, giving global investors another read-through when markets reopen.
Unilever has told investors to focus on “underlying sales growth” in 2026 — a measure that strips out currency swings and the impact of acquisitions and disposals — and expects that growth to land within its 4% to 6% range, but near the bottom end. (Unilever)
Some analysts have argued the numbers left little room for surprises. “Bang in line” was how RBC Capital Markets analyst James Edwardes Jones described the results, in a note cited by Bloomberg. (Bloomberg)
But the setup still cuts both ways. A sharper demand slowdown could squeeze volumes and leave Unilever leaning harder on price rises, while currency moves can cloud reported revenue for a company that sells heavily outside the euro zone.
Next up, investors will watch for any fresh comments out of CAGNY and for the stock to trade through the next dividend markers, including an ex-dividend date of Feb. 26 and payment on April 10, according to Unilever’s dividend calendar. (Unilever)
