London, Feb 20, 2026, 07:55 GMT — Premarket
Unilever (ULVR.L) ended Thursday in London at 5,320 pence, slipping 8 pence from Wednesday’s close. Investors now look to Friday, with new broker calls on deck and India making headlines.
Hindustan Unilever, the Indian unit of the company, said Wednesday it plans to invest as much as 20 billion rupees ($220.54 million) over two years, aiming to ramp up manufacturing in premium segments where growth is brisk, even as competition puts pressure on margins. Consumer-goods consultant Akshay D’Souza pointed to a surge in personal care D2C brands, saying more deals are likely. Hindustan Unilever snapped up skincare label Minimalist last year and just last week moved to acquire the final 49% stake in plant-based brand Oziva for 8.24 billion rupees.
Unilever last week flagged that its 2026 underlying sales growth would likely come in at the lower end of its 4%-6% target, citing a slowdown in both the U.S. and European markets. The consumer goods giant behind Dove and Hellmann’s also rolled out a 1.5 billion euro share buyback, and projected a slight uptick from the 20% profit margin posted for 2025.
Broker views on Unilever have softened. This week, Kepler Cheuvreux, Berenberg, and DZ Bank all moved the stock to “hold” from “buy,” setting price targets mostly in the mid-5,000s pence range. Share Prices
Berenberg, though, says much of Unilever’s turnaround story is already baked in. The bank notes a 12-month forward P/E of 19.6 times for Unilever—putting the stock 17% above its own five-year average, and trading at a fatter valuation than other consumer staples giants such as Nestlé and Procter & Gamble. They also flagged a mix of risks: foreign-exchange pressures that could hit reported profits, stiffer competition, and the threat of earnings dilution if more assets are sold.
Late Thursday, a regulatory filing turned up a bit of company news. According to a Form 6‑K, Chief Research & Development Officer Richard Slater unloaded 18,486 Unilever ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange at £54.137945 apiece on Feb. 17, pocketing close to £1.0 million.
Fernando Fernandez hasn’t wasted time making his mark as CEO. Investors are combing over his initial statements, especially his push for more aggressive marketing via social media and creators. “I’m absolutely convinced that the times of big corporate big brand messages are gone,” Fernandez told Marketing Week. Marketing Week
Unilever’s next key update lands April 30, with its Q1 2026 trading statement. Investors will be watching for signs that volumes aren’t slipping—and whether initiatives like premiumisation and e-commerce are actually delivering more consistent growth.
