Unilever lifts sales outlook after strong Q2 volume growth

Consumer goods giant Unilever raised its full-year sales forecast on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after reporting its strongest quarterly volume growth in over a decade. The company's shares surged as much as 6.8 percent in London trading following the announcement.

For the second quarter ended June 30, Unilever posted underlying sales growth of 5.8 percent, surpassing analyst expectations of 4.3 percent. The performance was driven by a 5.5 percent increase in sales volumes, which the company described as its best quarterly volume performance in more than ten years. Turnover for the quarter rose 3.8 percent to 13.0 billion euros, despite a 2.4 percent negative impact from currency exchange rates.

The robust results prompted management to upgrade its annual outlook. Unilever now expects full-year underlying sales growth to fall within its medium-term target range of 4 to 6 percent, having previously guided toward the lower end of that range. The company also raised its forecast for underlying volume growth to approximately 3 percent for 2026.

Chief Executive Fernando Fernandez said the results demonstrated the company's ability to improve operational performance while reshaping its...