Hindustan Unilever Limited (formerly known as Hindustan Lever Limited) is India’s largest consumer product company. It was founded in September, 1934 as Lever Brothers India Limited and has its controlling office at Mumbai, employing around 41, 000 persons. The Anglo-Dutch company Unilever, a fortune 500 transnational, holds majority (51.55%) stake in this company.
HUL has many first to its credits in Indian operations from introducing innovative and new products to opening up new markets/ channels and enabling a variety of persons to lead better life.
HUL has well defined corporate mission to add vitality to life. HUL meets the everyday needs for nutrition; hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. The mission is carried with well defined policies, practices, and processes addressing stake holders in the areas of business competition, environment, quality, safety and health domains.
It has 35 power brands, 80 factories, 150 product suppliers, 42 offices, 240 service centers, 7, 000 distributors, 350,000 direct sellers (operating in 1, 500 towns), 3.3 Million outlets addressing the needs of 250 million consumers including those living in 100,000 villages. HUL has implemented RSNet that helps in disseminating information and helps the company to harness these components to yield results. HUL has touched only 25% of rural population even with this kind of reach in India. The project Shakthi launched by HUL in 2001 aims at broadening the rural coverage, helping the rural people to form self help groups and benefit from selling and using the HUL products. It is significant that the company has around 25, 000 entrepreneurs who touch the lives of 100 million rural people earning between Rs 700 to 1000 per month, who were earlier not having/ pursuing any job. The commitment of this company to profit from building relationship needs to be recognized. Current year, I believe HUL will reap large benefit from such initiative. The farm loan waiver and fresh credit in the rural economy to the extent of Rs. 600 Billion will increase the rural consumption of many of HUL products in the health care and personal care segments. In the past years strategic acquisitions, especially TOMCO of Tatas, has lent larger portfolio of power brands.
HUL is pursuing excellence in the areas of manufacture adopting total productive maintenance gradually bringing more and more units to adopt world class standards to ensure quality output.
Financials
The results of the company for Dec 07 compared with previous year and quarter is tabulated below
| Rs Millions | Dec ' 07 | Sep ' 07 | Jun ' 07 | Mar ' 07 | Dec ' 06 |
| Sales | 36874 | 33646.3 | 34814 | 31843.2 | 31561 |
| Operating profit | 5642 | 4475.9 | 5119.5 | 3619.7 | 5000.3 |
| Interest | 25.8 | 67.5 | 110.4 | 51.3 | 18.3 |
| Gross profit | 7213.2 | 5467 | 6072.3 | 4476.4 | 6051.5 |
| Depreciation | 368.8 | 352.9 | 332.9 | 329 | 342.2 |
| Net profit / loss | 6314.4 | 4080.6 | 4930.8 | 3928.9 | 5111.8 |
| Equity capital | 2177.5 | 2207.7 | 2207 | 2206.8 | 2206.8 |
| EPS (Rs) | 2.9 | 1.85 | 2.23 | 1.78 | 2.32 |
| OPM (%) | 15.30% | 13.30% | 14.71% | 11.37% | 15.84% |
| GPM (%) | 19.56% | 16.25% | 17.44% | 14.06% | 19.17% |
| NPM (%) | 17.12% | 12.13% | 14.16% | 12.34% | 16.20% |
HUL has achieved turnover growth of 16.83% over the past year and 9.59% over the previous quarter. The margins have improved operating profit is up by 26.05% over the previous quarter and 12.83% of over the past year. Operating margin at 15.30% is higher than the previous quarter. Both gross profit margin and net profit margins have improved over the past year and previous quarter to reach 19.56% and 17.12% respectively.
In product categories soaps and detergents (17.25% as against 16.46%) and personal care products (33.38% as against 30.89%) have improved on profit margin as compared to the past year. The margins have been lost in beverages (15.41% as against 20.06%) and Ice Creams (3.94% as against 11.09%) group of products. The share of these groups to HUL’s revenue has also come down, helping the company to maintain and improve on margins.
Comparison with peers
The financials of the company for the quarter ended Dec 07 are compared and presented below
| Rs Millions | Dabur India | HUL | Godrej Ind | Colgate | Marico |
| | | | | | |
| Sales Turnover | 5164.4 | 36874 | 1909.7 | 3675.1 | 4155.9 |
| Other Income | 42.7 | 1597 | 117.6 | 228.2 | 30.2 |
| Total Income | 5207.1 | 38471 | 2027.3 | 3903.3 | 4186.1 |
| Total Expenses | 4113.9 | 31232 | 1737.5 | 3063.9 | 3616.8 |
| Operating Profit | 1050.5 | 5642 | 172.2 | 611.2 | 539.1 |
| Gross Profit | 1093.2 | 7239 | 289.8 | 839.4 | 569.3 |
| Interest | 5.7 | 25.8 | 92.5 | 2 | 28.9 |
| PBDT | 1087.5 | 7987.7 | 364.7 | 837.4 | 540.4 |
| Depreciation | 74.8 | 368.8 | 65 | 50.5 | 79.2 |
| PBT | 1012.7 | 7618.9 | 299.7 | 786.9 | 461.2 |
| Tax | 131.3 | 1304.5 | -1.4 | 182.2 | 58.9 |
| Net Profit | 881.4 | 6314.4 | 301.1 | 604.7 | 402.3 |
| Earnings Per Share | 1.02 | 2.9 | 0.94 | 44.46 | 0.66 |
| Equity | 864 | 2177.5 | 319.8 | 136 | 609 |
| OPM | 20.34% | 15.30% | 9.02% | 16.63% | 12.97% |
| NPM | 16.93% | 16.41% | 14.85% | 15.49% | 9.61% |
HUL tops in revenues and expenses control. The price earning is also favors HUL as the present discount is very attractive on a comparative basis.
What does the future holds for HUL?
HUL with large portfolio of brands virtually touches every Indians life. The continued economic growth will underpin HUL’s expanding revenues and profits. Significantly the tax cuts of Rs. 440 Billion and farm loan waiver of Rs. 600 Billion will expand the reach and products spend. I expect large upward movement of consumer to more value added brands where HUL can improve its profitability.
The charts reveal good buy signals and prices to profit for both near term and long term investors.