Unilever reports 11.0pc profit rise for 2013

THE HAGUE, Jan 21 (AFP): Dutch food and cosmetics group Unilever reported an 11.0-per cent rise in net profit for 2013 on Tuesday despite a 3.0-per cent fall in sales.
Net profit amounted to 4.84 billion euros ($6.56 billion).
Sales totalled 49.8 billion euros, undermined mainly by unfavourable exchange rates and also by the effect of asset sales. However, if the effect of asset sales were stripped out of the results to give a strictly comparable figure, sales rose by 4.3 per cent.
"Growth continued to slow in emerging markets as a result of the impact of economic uncertainty and currency depreciation on consumer demand," Unilever said in a statement. Emerging markets were nevertheless leading sales increases, up 8.4 per cent at constant rates compared to a 1.7 per cent drop in developed markets, the company added.
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of consumer goods and owns a variety of brands such as Lipton Yellow Label tea, Magnum ice cream, Knorr, Omo washing powder, Vaseline and Dove.