By Dominic Chopping

Unilever is scheduled to report results for the fourth quarter on Thursday. Here is what you need to know:

TURNOVER FORECAST: The Anglo-Dutch retailer--which owns consumer brands such as Dove and Knorr--is expected to post a slight increase in fourth-quarter turnover to 14.28 billion euros ($14.72 billion) from 14.18 billion euros in the same period a year prior, according to a company-compiled consensus.

UNDERLYING SALES FORECAST: Underlying sales growth--which strips out exceptional and other one-off items--for the period is anticipated at 4.1%, with a contribution of 3.0% from volume--the amount of goods sold--and 1.0% from price, reflecting how much its products were sold for.

Shares over the past 12 months are up around 18% and currently trade at 47.29 pounds.

WHAT TO WATCH:

--Unilever expects underlying sales growth for 2024 to be within a range of 3% to 5%, with the majority of the growth being driven by volume.

--The company currently expects an underlying operating margin of at least 18% in 2024. Market expectations point to a margin of 18.3%, according to a consensus provided by the company.

--Guidance for 2025 will be a key area of focus. Guillaume Delmas at UBS noted that consensus expects underlying sales growth of 4.2% in 2025. UBS is more cautious though, modeling 3.7% as it bakes in a lower contribution from the company's four growth engines of deodorants, health & wellbeing, Unilever food solutions and prestige beauty, as well as a slower development in the rest of Unilever.

--"We continue to be concerned by the rapid normalization in pricing, particularly in Europe where price contribution turned negative again in Q3," Delmas said in a note. As such, the bank expects Unilever to guide for 2025 underlying sales growth in the 3%-5% range.

--Unilever is proceeding with a separation of its ice-cream business, and any clues on the progress will also be eyed. It is due to provide a detailed update on the separation before the end of March, with completion expected by the end of 2025.

--The board declared a quarterly dividend of 43.96 European cents in the third quarter.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 11, 2025 07:20 ET (12:20 GMT)

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