Unilever PLC (LON:ULVR) Interim Results Just Came Out: Here's What Analysts Are Forecasting For This Year
It's been a good week for Unilever PLC (LON:ULVR) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest half-yearly results, and the shares gained 6.8% to UK£48.50. It was a credible result overall, with revenues of €26b and statutory earnings per share of €2.59 both in line with analyst estimates, showing that Unilever is executing in line with expectations. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Unilever after the latest results.
Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Unilever's 18 analysts is for revenues of €51.7b in 2026. This reflects a reasonable 2.1% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of €51.8b and earnings per share (EPS) of €3.04 in 2026. Overall, while the analysts have reconfirmed their revenue estimates, the consensus now no longer provides an EPS estimate. This implies that the market believes revenue is more important after these latest results.
View our latest analysis for Unilever
We'd also point out that thatthe analysts have made no major changes to their price target of UK£52.77. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Unilever at UK£60.10 per share, while the most bearish prices it at UK£38.14. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.
Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. For example, we noticed that Unilever's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with revenues forecast to exhibit 4.3% growth to the end of 2026 on an annualised basis. That is well above its historical decline of 0.4% a year over the past five years. Compare this against analyst estimates for the broader industry, which suggest that (in aggregate) industry revenues are expected to grow 4.1% annually. So it looks like Unilever is expected to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing to take away is that the analysts reconfirmed their revenue estimates for next year, suggesting that the business is performing in line with expectations. Happily, there were no real changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow in line with the overall industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.
We have estimates for Unilever from its 18 analysts out to 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.
You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Unilever you should be aware of.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.