HUL Q2 numbers out, PAT up 20% at Rs 15.25 bn on Rs 91.38 bn sales

10% volume growth in sales; company declares an interim dividend of 9 per cent per share

Bellwether FMCG company, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), on Friday reported a 19.51 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 15.25 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 12.76 billion during the same period of the previous financial year. 

Sales during the quarter under review stood at Rs 91.38 billion as against Rs 81.99 billion in the year-ago period, up 11.45 per cent, HUL said in a regulatory filing.

There was an improvement in the company's Ebitda margins due to a 40 basis point reduction in ad spend during the reporting quarter.

The company also posted 10 per cent volume growth during the quarter, compared with 12 per cent growth in the immediately preceding quarter and four per cent a year ago.

The company's board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 9 per share of face value Re 1 each for the financial year ending March 31, 2019.

Shares of HUL settled 2.63 per cent higher at Rs 1,568.65 apiece on the BSE.