on Thursday reported its strongest quarterly revenue growth in three years, yet investors sold the stock sharply, pushing shares down 3.31 per cent to ₹2,237.70 on the NSE by mid-day.
The FMCG major posted consolidated revenue of ₹16,207 crore for the March 2026 quarter, an 8 per cent year-on-year increase, driven by 7 per cent Underlying Sales Growth and 6 per cent Underlying Volume Growth — the company’s highest in 12 quarters. Reported Profit After Tax rose 20 per cent to ₹3,002 crore, boosted by a ₹256 crore gain from the sale of its minority stake in Nutritionalab Pvt Ltd. Stripping out that one-time item, PAT before exceptional items grew a more modest 4 per cent to ₹2,711 crores. EBITDA came in at ₹3,841 crore, up 6 per cent, with margins at 23.7 per cent.
For the full financial year 2025-26, turnover from continuing operations reached ₹63,763 crore, up 5 per cent, with EBITDA margin at 23.6 per cent. Annual PAT before exceptional items stood at ₹10,324 crore, broadly flat year-on-year.
Among segments, Home Care was the standout performer, growing 9 per cent in the quarter — its best in 11 quarters — led by double-digit growth in fabric wash liquids. Beauty & Wellbeing delivered 8 per cent USG on the back of strong hair care performance, while Personal Care and Foods each grew 5 per cent.
The board recommended a final dividend of ₹22 per share, taking the total payout for FY26 to ₹41 per share, implying a total annual dividend outflow of ₹9,633 crore.
CEO Priya Nair flagged commodity and currency headwinds from geopolitical tensions as a near-term concern, saying the company was navigating these through supply chain resilience and calibrated pricing.
Despite the headline beat, the stock traded well below its 52-week high of ₹2,750, with sell orders outpacing buys nearly 2-to-1 in Thursday’s session. The share has returned negative 4.5 per cent over the past year, lagging the Nifty 50 considerably.