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HINDUNILVR Consumer 23 Oct 2025

Hindunilvr Ltd — Q2 FY26

HUL reported Q2 FY26 revenue of INR 16,061 crore with 2% underlying sales growth, impacted by GST transition disruptions and prolonged monsoon.

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Revenue ₹16,061 Cr
EBITDA
EBITDA Margin 23.2% -90bps
Duration 90 min
Read Time 1 min read

✓ Verified against BSE filing

2-Minute Summary

✦ AI-Generated from Full Transcript

HUL reported Q2 FY26 revenue of INR 16,061 crore with 2% underlying sales growth, impacted by GST transition disruptions and prolonged monsoon. EBITDA margin contracted 90bps YoY to 23.2% as the company invested 80bps more in A&P. PAT before exceptional items declined 4%, while reported PAT grew 4% due to a one-off tax resolution. Home care delivered mid-single-digit volume growth, beauty & well-being grew 5%, but personal care was flat due to GST. Management expects normal trading from November and H2 growth to be better than H1. The ice cream demerger is on track for December, adding 50-60bps to margins. Key risks include prolonged GST disruption and weather impact on winter categories.

Promises0 met · 3 missedRisks4 trackedTranscriptfull text
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Focused Modules

Promises 3 promises

Promise Tracker

0 delivered, 0 close, 3 missed.

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!Risks 4 risks

Risk Intelligence

Prolonged GST disruption

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Transcript Full text

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Quarter Snapshot

Underlying Sales Growth (USG) 2%
N/A

Quarterly USG was 2%, price-led, with volume growth impacted by GST transition.

Underlying Volume Growth (UVG) - Home Care Mid-single-digit
N/A

Home care delivered mid-single-digit volume growth on a strong base of high single-digit growth.

A&P Spend YoY Change +80 bps
+80 bps YoY

Advertising & promotion spend increased 80 bps year-on-year as part of investment in brands.

Gross Margin Sequential Improvement 50.9%
+130 bps QoQ

Gross margin improved 130 bps sequentially as transitory price-cost gap moderated.

What Changed vs Last Quarter

Comparing Q2 FY26 vs Q1 FY26
1 new guidance1 dropped4 new risk4 risk resolved
NEW
H2 growth better than H1

Management expects second half of FY26 to deliver better growth than first half, driven by improving macros and internal initiatives.

UPDATED
EBITDA margin guidance 22%-23%

Near-to-mid-term EBITDA margin guidance remains 22%-23%, with ice cream demerger adding 50-60 bps to reported margin from Q3.

UPDATED
Low single-digit price growth expected

If commodity prices remain at current levels, management expects low single-digit price growth going forward.

UPDATED
Ice cream demerger timeline

Ice cream demerger expected to complete in December quarter, with listing in Q4 FY26, subject to regulatory approvals.

DROPPED
First half FY26 better than second half FY25

Growth guidance unchanged: H1 FY26 expected to be better than H2 FY25, with gradual recovery sustained.

NEW RISK
Prolonged GST disruption

GST transition impact may extend beyond October, with trade restocking taking a couple of months to normalize.

NEW RISK
Weather impact on winter categories

Prolonged monsoon and potential weak winter could dampen demand for seasonal products like skincare and ice cream.

NEW RISK
Competitive pressure in core categories

Analyst raised concern about digital-first competition and need to focus on mid and bottom of pyramid; management acknowledged need for sharper segmentation.

NEW RISK
Slow premiumization in body wash

Body wash liquids penetration remains at only 2%, indicating slower adoption despite management's focus on premiumization.

RISK GONE
Sustained competitive intensity in home care

Management acknowledged price decreases in home care due to both commodity deflation and competitive pressures, which could pressure margins and pricing power.

RISK GONE
Delayed recovery in Glow & Lovely and Lifebuoy

Both brands remain in decline despite relaunches; management expects improvement over 'a few quarters' but no specific timeline, posing risk to Beauty & Wellbeing growth.

RISK GONE
Transitory gross margin gap may persist

Analyst questioned the widening gap between NMI and pricing; management termed it transitory but acknowledged it could take time to normalize, especially if commodity prices turn inflationary.

RISK GONE
Execution risk in Minimalist integration

Minimalist acquisition closed in April; synergies in R&D, supply chain, offline distribution, and international expansion are yet to be fully realized, with no quantified targets provided.

🤫 Topics management stopped discussing

Potential margin pressure from commodity volatility

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q2 FY25, Q3 FY25, Q4 FY25

Inflation in palm oil, tea, and coffee not fully priced in, while deflation in crude oil is passed on quickly, creating a price-cost gap.

Competitive intensity in beauty and personal care

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q1 FY26

Management acknowledged price decreases in home care due to both commodity deflation and competitive pressures, which could pressure margins and pricing power.

EBITDA margins to be maintained at current levels in short term

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q2 FY25

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

Integration risk for Minimalist acquisition

Mentioned in Q1 FY26, Q3 FY25

Minimalist acquisition closed in April; synergies in R&D, supply chain, offline distribution, and international expansion are yet to be fully realized, with no quantified targets provided.

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

Mentioned in Q1 FY25, Q2 FY25

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

Fast read

Guidance and risk preview

Top guidance H2 growth better than H1

Management expects second half of FY26 to deliver better growth than first half, driven by improving macros and internal initiatives.

Top risk Prolonged GST disruption

GST transition impact may extend beyond October, with trade restocking taking a couple of months to normalize.

View Risks →