HUL Q3 net profit at Rs 1,444 crore vs Rs 1,326 crore, up 8.9% YoY

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) Thursday reported a 9 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 1,444 crore for the quarter ended December 2018 on account of strong volume growth.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 1,326 crore in the October-December quarter of the previous fiscal.

Sales during the quarter under review stood at Rs 9,357 crore, up 12.42 per cent, as against Rs 8,323 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, HUL said in a regulatory filing.

"Domestic consumer growth was 13 per cent with underlying volume growth at 10 per cent. EBITDA margin was up 170 basis points and profit after tax (before exceptional items) grew by 17 per cent," HUL said in a statement.

Commenting on the results, HUL chairman and managing director Sanjiv Mehta said: "We have delivered another strong performance in the quarter, with double digit volume growth and improvement in margins." He further said: "Our focus on strengthening the core and leading market development by tapping into emerging trends has been yielding results across categories." HUL's total expenses for the said period came in at Rs 7,652 crore as against Rs 7,036 crore, up 8.75 per cent.

Shares of HUL settled at Rs 1,750.10 apiece on the BSE, down 1.12 per cent from their previous close.