Hindustan Unilever Q1 net profit up by 20

Hindustan Unilever Ltd,the Indian unit of Anglo-Dutch Unilever Plc ,beat market forecasts with a 20 percent increase in quarterly net profit,but its shares fell over 5 percent as sales volumes disappointed investors. India8217;s largest manufacturer of household products and consumer goods posted on Friday a net profit of 10.19 billion rupees 172.36 million for the quarter ended March 30,from an adjusted profit of 8.54 billion rupees a year ago. The adjusted profit is a median of estimates from 3 brokerages.

The company had reported an actual net profit of 13.3 billion rupees in the same period a year ago on the back of a one-time gain. Analysts had expected a net profit of 8.7 billion rupees,according to Thomson Reuters Starmine Estimates.