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HINDUNILVR Consumer 22 Oct 2024

Hindunilvr Ltd — Q2 FY25

HUL reported a muted quarter with 2% underlying sales growth (3% volume growth) in a sluggish FMCG environment.

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Revenue ₹15,926 Cr +2%
EBITDA
PAT ₹2,595 Cr -2%
EBITDA Margin 24%
Duration 90 min
Read Time 1 min read

✓ Verified against BSE filing

2-Minute Summary

✦ AI-Generated from Full Transcript

HUL reported a muted quarter with 2% underlying sales growth (3% volume growth) in a sluggish FMCG environment. Revenue stood at INR 15,319 crore, while EBITDA margin remained healthy at 23.8%. PAT before exceptional items declined 2% due to a one-off tax credit in the base. Home care and beauty & wellbeing delivered high single-digit growth, but personal care declined 5% and foods & refreshment was subdued. Management highlighted early signs of recovery in soaps post-Stratos technology launch and expects low single-digit price growth in the near term. The ice cream business is being separated to sharpen focus. Risks include persistent commodity inflation (palm oil, tea) and muted urban demand. The company maintains its margin guidance and expects stable demand trends.

Promises0 met · 2 missedRisks4 trackedTranscriptfull text
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Commodity inflation pressure

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Quarter Snapshot

Underlying Volume Growth (UVG) 3%
+3pp YoY

Underlying volume growth of 3% in Q2 FY25, driven by home care and beauty & wellbeing.

MAT Business Winning 60%+
Ahead of Dec 2024 target

Market share gains accelerated, with MAT business winning crossing 60% in September, ahead of schedule.

A&P Spend as % of Sales 9.5%
-100bps YoY

A&P spend was 9.5% of sales, lower than typical 10.5%, due to phasing and digital shift.

Digital Media Share 45%
Increasing

45% of working media now spent on digital, reflecting ongoing shift in media mix.

What Changed vs Last Quarter

Comparing Q2 FY25 vs Q1 FY25
3 new guidance3 dropped4 new risk4 risk resolved
NEW
Low single-digit price growth expected in near term

Management expects low single-digit price growth in the coming quarters due to commodity inflation, while maintaining competitive price-value equation.

NEW
Ice cream business separation by end of FY25

Board approved separation of ice cream business; mode (sale or demerger) to be decided by end of the year, with listing expected.

NEW
Full-year effective tax rate marginally above 26%

ETR for H1 was 26.1%; full-year ETR expected to be marginally above 26%.

UPDATED
EBITDA margin to be maintained at current healthy levels

Management aims to keep EBITDA margin at current ~23.8% levels, with some basis points fluctuation, through productivity savings and calibrated pricing.

DROPPED
Near-zero pricing in short term, low single-digit positive by end of FY25

Excluding one-off credit in Q2 FY24 base, intrinsic price growth expected near zero in short term, turning low single-digit positive by year-end.

DROPPED
Modest margin expansion in medium term via mix and operating leverage

Medium-term margin expansion driven by premiumization (300 bps improvement in premium mix over 3 years) and operating leverage from volume growth.

DROPPED
Market share breadth to reach 60% by end of calendar year

MAT business winning metric expected to return to 60% levels by end of calendar year, with last 3-month metric already at ~55%.

NEW RISK
Commodity inflation pressure

Crude palm oil and tea prices rose 10% and 25% YoY respectively, impacting gross margins. Management is taking calibrated price increases but full pass-through may not be possible.

NEW RISK
Muted urban demand and slow rural recovery

Urban growth moderated, while rural recovery is gradual. Management noted no further acceleration in FMCG growth, which could pressure volume growth.

NEW RISK
Personal care segment decline persists

Personal care declined 5% with low single-digit volume decline. Despite formulation changes and innovation, recovery may take a couple more quarters.

NEW RISK
Tea downgradation trend may not reverse quickly

Despite 25% tea inflation, downgradation to loose tea persisted in Q2. Management expects reversal but timing is uncertain.

RISK GONE
Tea price inflation could impact margins

Tea prices are currently inflationary due to harsh summer impacting produce; full impact depends on monsoon season.

RISK GONE
Rural recovery may be slower than expected

Despite green shoots, rural growth on a 2-year CAGR still lags urban; employment, real wages, and food inflation could delay recovery.

RISK GONE
Competitive intensity in beauty and personal care

Analyst raised concern about competitive activity in beauty; management acknowledged intense competition but expressed confidence in portfolio transformation.

RISK GONE
Potential margin pressure from commodity volatility

If commodity prices rise, especially palm oil, margins could be impacted despite Stratos technology providing some insulation.

🤫 Topics management stopped discussing

Resurgence of small players in mass segments

Mentioned in Q1 FY24, Q2 FY24, Q3 FY24

Benign commodity environment has led to increased competition from regional players, particularly in detergent bars and tea, impacting market share momentum.

Rural recovery may be slower than expected

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q3 FY24, Q4 FY24

Despite green shoots, rural growth on a 2-year CAGR still lags urban; employment, real wages, and food inflation could delay recovery.

Global commodity price volatility

Mentioned in Q2 FY24, Q4 FY24

Rising crude or CPO prices could reverse gross margin gains and require price increases, impacting volume growth.

Near-zero pricing in short term, low single-digit positive by end of FY25

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q4 FY24

Excluding one-off credit in Q2 FY24 base, intrinsic price growth expected near zero in short term, turning low single-digit positive by year-end.

Price growth to be near flat or marginally negative in next 2 quarters

Mentioned in Q1 FY24, Q2 FY24

Management expects price growth to turn marginally negative in the near term if current commodity prices hold.

Fast read

Guidance and risk preview

Top guidance Low single-digit price growth expected in near term

Management expects low single-digit price growth in the coming quarters due to commodity inflation, while maintaining competitive price-value equat...

Top risk Commodity inflation pressure

Crude palm oil and tea prices rose 10% and 25% YoY respectively, impacting gross margins.

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