Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your opinion of Unilever going forward? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Unilever plc (ADR), $43.57, symbol UL on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $56.6 billion; www.unilever.com), is one of the world’s largest makers of consumer goods. Asia and Africa supply 43% of its sales, followed by the Americas (33%) and Europe (24%). The company gets 59% of its sales from emerging markets. Unilever operates through four divisions: Personal Care (37% of sales) makes skin and hair care products, deodorants and oral care goods. Top brands include Dove and Lux (soap), Sunsilk (shampoo), Axe (deodorant), Pond’s (skin cream), Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and Close Up (toothpaste). Foods (25%) makes a variety of packaged products, including Becel margarine, Knorr soups and Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Refreshments (18%) makes Lipton teas and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Home Care (20%) makes laundry and dishwashing detergents and other household cleaning products. Major brands include Sunlight, Comfort and Sif. In the three months ended March 31, 2015, Unilever’s sales rose 12.3%, to 12.8 billion euros from 11.4 billion euros a year earlier…