Unilever plc
British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company and one of the world's largest FMCG companies, owning Dove, Hellmann's, Lipton, Axe, Knorr, Ben & Jerry's, and over 400 brands sold in 190 countries.
Company Type
public
Founded
1929
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Stock
LSE: ULVR
About Unilever plc
What does Unilever own?
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing (Dove, Vaseline, TRESemme, Pond's), Personal Care (Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lux, Lifebuoy, Close Up), Home Care (Domestos, Cif, Surf, Omo, Comfort), and Nutrition (Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton, Marmite). Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever no longer owns Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, or Breyers. The company also owns approximately 61% of Hindustan Unilever Limited, a publicly listed subsidiary in India.
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing (Dove, Vaseline, TRESemme, Pond's), Personal Care (Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lux, Lifebuoy, Close Up), Home Care (Domestos, Cif, Surf, Omo, Comfort), and Nutrition (Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton, Marmite). Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever no longer owns Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, or Breyers. The company also owns approximately 61% of Hindustan Unilever Limited, a publicly listed subsidiary in India.
Is Unilever publicly traded?
Yes, Unilever plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker ULVR and on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker UNA. American Depositary Receipts are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker UL. The company does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Yes, Unilever plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker ULVR and on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker UNA. American Depositary Receipts are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker UL. The company does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Who founded Unilever?
Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers, a British soap company founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer formed through the merger of the Jurgens and Van den Bergh companies in 1927. The founders of the predecessor companies include William Lever, James Darcy Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel van den Bergh.
Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers, a British soap company founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer formed through the merger of the Jurgens and Van den Bergh companies in 1927. The founders of the predecessor companies include William Lever, James Darcy Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel van den Bergh.
Where is Unilever headquartered?
Unilever is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in London. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom and ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.
Unilever is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in London. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom and ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.
How many brands does Unilever own?
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. The company's largest brands by revenue include Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lipton, Vaseline, Domestos, and Cif. Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever's portfolio no longer includes ice cream brands such as Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, and Breyers.
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. The company's largest brands by revenue include Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lipton, Vaseline, Domestos, and Cif. Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever's portfolio no longer includes ice cream brands such as Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, and Breyers.
Who owns Unilever?
Unilever plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and index funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Unilever. Fernando Fernandez serves as CEO, having been appointed in March 2025 following the departure of Hein Schumacher. The company's board includes a majority of independent non-executive directors.
Unilever plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and index funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Unilever. Fernando Fernandez serves as CEO, having been appointed in March 2025 following the departure of Hein Schumacher. The company's board includes a majority of independent non-executive directors.
History of Unilever plc
The origins of Unilever trace to two separate companies: Lever Brothers, founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885 in Bolton, England, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch company formed through the merger of two margarine producers in 1927.
William Lever founded Lever Brothers to manufacture and sell Sunlight Soap, one of the first branded and packaged consumer goods products in the United Kingdom. Lever's innovation was to sell soap in uniform, pre-cut bars with consistent quality, rather than the variable-quality bulk soap that was the norm at the time. The Sunlight Soap brand was a commercial success, and Lever Brothers expanded rapidly through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, acquiring soap and food businesses in the United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally.
Margarine Unie was formed in 1927 through the merger of Jurgens and Van den Bergh, two Dutch margarine producers that had been competing with each other for decades. Both companies had also expanded into soap production, creating direct competition with Lever Brothers.
In 1929, Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged to form Unilever, creating one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world. The merger was structured as a dual-listed company, with Unilever plc listed in the United Kingdom and Unilever N.V. listed in the Netherlands. The two entities operated as a single economic entity but maintained separate legal structures for tax and regulatory reasons.
Through the mid-20th century, Unilever expanded its portfolio through acquisitions and organic growth, building positions in food, personal care, and household products across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. The company's emerging market operations, particularly in India through Hindustan Unilever Limited (a publicly listed subsidiary), became significant contributors to revenue and profit.
In 2000, Unilever launched a major restructuring program called Path to Growth, which aimed to reduce the company's brand portfolio from approximately 1,600 brands to approximately 400 brands, focusing investment on the largest and most profitable brands. The program resulted in the sale or discontinuation of hundreds of smaller brands.
In 2010, Unilever launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, a comprehensive sustainability framework that set targets for reducing the company's environmental footprint while growing its business. The plan attracted significant attention from investors and sustainability advocates and influenced the company's product development and supply chain practices.
In 2017, Unilever rejected a takeover bid from Kraft Heinz, which had offered approximately 143 billion US dollars for the company. Unilever's board rejected the bid as fundamentally undervaluing the company, and Kraft Heinz withdrew its offer within days.
In 2020, Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure by consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom, ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.
In 2024, Unilever announced plans to demerge its Ice Cream business, which included Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, and other ice cream brands. The demerger was completed in 2025, creating a separate publicly listed ice cream company. Hein Schumacher, who had been appointed CEO in 2023, stepped down in March 2025 and was succeeded by Fernando Fernandez.
For the full year 2025, Unilever reported underlying sales growth of approximately 4%, with strong performances from Beauty and Wellbeing and Personal Care. The company's Beauty and Wellbeing segment reported turnover of approximately 12.8 billion euros for 2025, and Personal Care reported approximately 13.2 billion euros.
Brands Owned by Unilever plc
View all 37 brandsUnilever plc owns 37 brands in our database. Showing featured brands below.
Axe
Owned by Unilever plc
Male grooming brand owned by Unilever, known for body spray and deodorant products.
deodorantbody-spraygrooming
Ben & Jerry's
Owned by Unilever plc
American ice cream company known for unique flavors and social activism, owned by Unilever.
ice-creamdessertfrozen
Best Foods
Owned by Unilever plc
American mayonnaise and condiment brand owned by Unilever, known as Hellmann's east of the Rocky Mountains.
mayonnaisecondimentsfood
Bovril
Owned by Unilever plc
Heritage British beef extract brand owned by Unilever, invented in 1870 and known as a drink, flavoring, and spread with significant cultural history.
beef-extractfooddrink
Brooke Bond
Owned by Unilever plc
British tea brand owned by Unilever, known for Red Label and PG Tips tea products.
teabeveragespg-tips
Cif
Owned by Unilever plc
Global cleaning products brand owned by Unilever, launched in 1969 and known for its cream cleaners and multi-surface solutions.
cleaninghome-caresurface-cleaner
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Stock Information
Unilever plc Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Portfolio of over 400 brands across multiple consumer categories provides diversification and resilience
- +Strong presence in emerging markets, particularly India through Hindustan Unilever, provides exposure to growing consumer populations
- +Scale in global consumer goods provides advantages in retailer relationships and supply chain efficiency
- +Ice Cream demerger simplifies the portfolio and allows focused investment in higher-growth categories
- +Hindustan Unilever's public listing provides transparency and a market-based valuation for the Indian business
Considerations
- -Intense competition from Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and Reckitt across multiple categories
- -Dependence on emerging market revenue creates exposure to currency fluctuations and political risk
- -Large portfolio of brands requires significant marketing investment to maintain consumer awareness
- -CEO transition in 2025 creates uncertainty about strategic direction
- -Plastic packaging and palm oil sourcing create ongoing environmental and reputational risk
Frequently Asked Questions About Unilever plc
What does Unilever own?
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing (Dove, Vaseline, TRESemme, Pond's), Personal Care (Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lux, Lifebuoy, Close Up), Home Care (Domestos, Cif, Surf, Omo, Comfort), and Nutrition (Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton, Marmite). Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever no longer owns Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, or Breyers. The company also owns approximately 61% of Hindustan Unilever Limited, a publicly listed subsidiary in India.
Is Unilever publicly traded?
Yes, Unilever plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker ULVR and on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker UNA. American Depositary Receipts are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker UL. The company does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Who founded Unilever?
Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers, a British soap company founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer formed through the merger of the Jurgens and Van den Bergh companies in 1927. The founders of the predecessor companies include William Lever, James Darcy Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel van den Bergh.
Where is Unilever headquartered?
Unilever is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in London. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom and ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.
How many brands does Unilever own?
Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. The company's largest brands by revenue include Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lipton, Vaseline, Domestos, and Cif. Following the 2025 demerger of its Ice Cream business, Unilever's portfolio no longer includes ice cream brands such as Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, and Breyers.
Who owns Unilever?
Unilever plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and index funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Unilever. Fernando Fernandez serves as CEO, having been appointed in March 2025 following the departure of Hein Schumacher. The company's board includes a majority of independent non-executive directors.
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