Unilever (UL) Stock

Given its better prospects, we believe that Unilever (NYSE: UL) is currently a better pick than its sector peer, Procter & Gamble stock (NYSE: PG). UL stock trades at 19x forward earnings, versus 26x for PG stock.

Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher sat down with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua in London for a wide-ranging interview, including consumer spending and premium demand, to the possibility of new trade tensions with Donald Trump returning to the White House. He also discusses the company's exit from Russia, citing a loss of control over the business in the country and growing complications stemming from Russia's response to Western sanctions imposed amid the war in Ukraine.

Retail sales figures will dominate headlines on a quieter Friday, while attention will also be on Unilever and any plans for a float of its ice cream arm. Consensus expectations are for a 0.3% drop in retail sales over the course of October, following a 0.3% uptick in September.

The lawsuit is the latest sign of the long-simmering tensions between Ben & Jerry's and consumer products maker Unilever, which rejected the claims.

In escalation of long-running tensions, the ice-cream brand says its parent company blocked statements in support of Palestinian rights.

Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR) is being sued again by its ice cream subsidiary Ben & Jerry's, which claims the consumer food giant silenced its support of Palestinians in Gaza. Relations between the companies over the situation in the region have been fraught since 2021 when Ben & Jerry's threatened to pull its products from the occupied West Bank due to a conflict with its values.

Unilever is exploring the sale of some of its Dutch food brands, three sources with knowledge of the process said, as part of a turnaround strategy led by CEO Hein Schumacher to focus on its biggest "power" labels.

Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that parent company Unilever has silenced its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees, and threatened to dismantle its board and sue its members over the issue.

Unilever's Q3 2024 results showed solid growth, driven by Power Brands and a focus on increasing sales volumes rather than prices. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment led growth, with a 6.70% increase in underlying volume growth, while the Ice Cream segment is set for a spin-off by 2025. Europe's negative underlying price growth reflects economic difficulties, while North America showed the strongest performance, driven by a resilient economy.