HUL Q2 preview: Revenue may rise up to 19% YoY on GSK Consumer acquisition

Recovery in rural business, pricing actions, and new launches will be the key monitorables.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) bellwether, is slated to announce its September quarter results (Q2FY21) on Tuesday, October 20. In the FMCG sector, analysts expect a strong recovery in both essentials and discretionary categories. However, products focused on premium price and out-of-home consumption will continue to face growth headwinds, they say.

Further, intermittent and extended lockdowns in the top 100 cities could result in slower recovery in urban markets while a strong monsoon could lift rural sales as they are being less affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, benign raw material prices could lead to the Ebit margin