London, Jan 31, 2026, 08:18 (GMT) — Market closed
- Unilever shares ended Friday up 1.5% at 4,940.5 pence in London Stock Exchange trade.
- Investors are bracing for Unilever’s full-year results on Feb. 12.
- A court fight tied to Ben & Jerry’s’s independent board is back in focus.
Unilever shares closed at 4,940.5 pence on Friday, up 73 pence from Thursday’s close, after trading between 4,846 and 4,946.5. Volume was about 3.1 million shares, according to exchange data compiled by Yahoo Finance. (Yahoo Finance)
With the market shut for the weekend, the next session will land in the middle of a tight run of catalysts. Investors have a date to circle and a couple of loose ends that still throw headlines.
Unilever is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 12 and is due at the CAGNY Conference on Feb. 17, the company’s events calendar showed. (Unilever)
Earlier in the week, Unilever said it signed an agreement to sell its Home Care business in Colombia and Ecuador to Alicorp, with financial terms undisclosed. The deal still needs regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, the company said. Reginaldo Ecclissato said the move “aligns with our ambition to sharpen our portfolio”. (Unilever)
Meanwhile, a legal spat around Unilever’s former ice cream arm is flaring again. Directors removed from Ben & Jerry’s independent board challenged in a U.S. court filing The Magnum Ice Cream Company’s plans to appoint new directors, accusing it of overreach. Unilever retains a 19.9% stake in Magnum, which was formed when Unilever spun off its ice cream unit in December, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
Friday’s rise outpaced the broader market. The FTSE 100 ended up 0.51% on the day, while Unilever finished about 11% below its 52-week high hit on Dec. 19, market data showed. (MarketWatch)
What matters for the stock now is less the Friday tape and more what management says it can actually do from here. The portfolio keeps shifting, but the bar is set by growth and margins, not deal headlines.
At the results, traders will watch underlying sales growth — Unilever’s measure of organic growth that strips out currency swings and the impact of acquisitions or disposals. They will also look at how much of that growth comes from volume (more units sold) rather than price, and whether margins hold as consumers stay jumpy.
The Colombia and Ecuador disposal adds another moving part. With no price tag disclosed, investors will be listening for any colour on timing, cash impact and what comes next for the Home Care portfolio more broadly.
But there is a downside path. If the divestment gets bogged down in approvals, or the Ben & Jerry’s dispute throws fresh legal or governance complications, the stock can wear it. Results that lean on pricing rather than volume would also revive the old worry: higher prices, fewer baskets.
For now, the next hard catalyst is Unilever’s Feb. 12 results, with any court developments around Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s likely to land in the tape before then.
