Unilever's global sales exceed estimates in the second quarter

Data released by Unilever on Thursday (23/07) shows that the company's quarterly sales were better than expected. They grew 2.9% in the second quarter as a whole, the average estimate of analysts was high of 2.6%, according to research conducted by the company. The volume of sales rose 1.3%, while prices rose by 1.5%. The result was driven by gains in its home and personal care units. The results give evidence that the manufacturer is recovering from a weak 2014, when his business was affected by the slowdown in emerging markets and currency devaluations. Still, the company warned that consumer demand remained weak.
"If there is any place where you can feel that things are getting slightly better is in North America, but it's one step forward and two steps back," said Jean-Marc Huet, Chief Financial Officer of Unilever.
In the first half of the year, the company's operating profit was 3.8 billion euros (or 4.15 billion dollars), matching analysts ' estimates.