Unilever sales just miss expectations; Ben and Jerry's ice cream unit heads for triple listing

Core Insights - Unilever reported slightly weaker-than-expected sales growth for the fourth quarter and anticipates a subdued start to 2025, with expectations of recovery in the second half of the year [1][4]. Financial Performance - The company posted a 4% rise in fourth-quarter underlying sales, missing the forecast of 4.1% [2]. - Full-year underlying sales grew by 4.2%, slightly below the analyst consensus of 4.3%, while underlying operating margins were reported at 18.4%, in line with estimates [3]. - The company expects full-year sales growth for 2025 to align with its multi-year range of 3% to 5% and anticipates a modest improvement in underlying operating margin in the latter half of the year [4]. Strategic Developments - Unilever is planning to spin off its ice cream business, which includes brands like Ben & Jerry's and Magnum, through a triple listing on the Amsterdam, London, and New York exchanges [2][6]. - The demerger is on track to be completed by the end of 2025 [6]. - The company is also looking to sell several food lines with combined sales of approximately 1 billion euros ($1.04 billion) [5].