General

Use this page to find a selection of general frequently asked questions and answers.

How many employees does Unilever have & where does it operate?

Unilever is present in 150 countries worldwide and at the end of 2007 employed 174 000 people.

How many billion € brands do you have & what are they?

Unilever has 12 billion € brands which are; Knorr, Surf, Lipton, Omo, Sunsilk, Dove, Rexona, Blue Band, Lux, Hellmann's, Becel and Heart brand (ice cream).

What is Unilever's fiscal year?

Unilever's fiscal year runs from 1 January to 31 December with quarterly results announced as per the dates detailed in the financial calendar.

What is Total Shareholder Return?

Total Shareholder Return

Total Shareholder Return (TSR) measures the returns received by a shareholder, capturing both the increase in share price and the value of dividend income (assuming dividends are re-invested).  Unilever’s TSR performance is compared with a peer group of competitors over a three-year rolling performance period. This period is sensitive enough to reflect changes but long enough to smooth out short-term volatility. The return is expressed in US dollars, based on the equivalent US dollar share price for NV and PLC. US dollars were chosen to facilitate comparison with companies in Unilever’s chosen reference group. The choice of currency affects the absolute TSR but not the relative ranking.

Unilever’s TSR target is to be in the top third of a reference group including 20 other international consumer goods companies on a three-year rolling basis. At the end of 2006 we were positioned 13th, and at the end of 2007 the ranking was 6th. In 2007, the following companies formed the peer group of comparative companies:


Avon

Kraft

Beiersdorf

Lion

Cadbury Schweppes

L’Oréal

Clorox 

Nestlé 

Coca-Cola

Orkla 

Colgate 

Pepsico 

Danone 

Procter & Gamble 

Heinz

Reckitt Benckiser 

Kao

Sara Lee 

Kimberley-Clark

Shiseido 

Unilever's position relative to the TSR reference group

Unilever's position relative to the TSR reference group

The reference group, including Unilever, consists of 21 companies. Unilever's position is based on TSR over a three-year rolling period.

What is the geographic distribution of Unilever shares held?

At the end of 2007 it is estimated that the combined geographic distribution of Unilever shares were held as follows; 32 % United Kingdom, 23 % USA, 14 % Netherlands and 31 % Other.

Where can I find out Unilever's current & historic share price?

Please refer to the share price section of the website. The share price tools allow you to look at both current and historic share price data and compare against indices.

How can I keep up to date with Unilever news & events?

Please refer to the keep informed section of this website.

When is Unilever's next results announcement or investor event?

Please refer to the events calendar in the investor centre.

Where can I get a copy of the latest annual report & account?

You can download this from the annual report and account section.

Which accounting firm is the auditor of Unilever?

PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V. is currently the auditor of Unilever NV and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP the auditor of Unilever PLC.

What are the different types of Unilever ordinary shares?

Unilever NV ordinary shares or certificates (depositary receipts) are listed on the stock exchange in Amsterdam and as New York shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Unilever PLC ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and as American Depositary Receipts in New York. There is a one to one relationship of ADR to PLC ordinary shares.

For more information on our shares please refer to the shareholder information section and the private shareholders frequently asked questions.

What exchanges does Unilever stock trade on?

Unilever shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam, London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information on our shares please refer to the shareholder information section and the private shareholders frequently asked questions.

Can you explain the share split & consolidation of your shares which took place in May 2006?

For PLC shares:  

Holders of ordinary shares exchanged 20 existing ordinary shares of 1.4 pence each for 9 new ordinary shares of 31/9 pence each in the capital of Unilever plc. The issued share capital of Unilever plc is now £136 275 682, comprising 1 310 156 361 ordinary shares of 31/9 pence each and 100 000 deferred shares of £1 each. The new ordinary shares have been admitted to the Official List and to trading on the London Stock Exchange.  

As a result of the share capital consolidation, Unilever plc's American Depositary Receipt (ADR), which previously comprised 4 ordinary shares of 1.4 pence each, will comprise 1 new ordinary share of 31/9 pence each.  ADR holders who held Unilever plc ADRs as at 19 May 2006 will be issued with 0.8 Unilever plc ADRs for each Unilever plc ADR they hold on that date. Dealings in the new Unilever plc ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange commenced on 25 May 2006.

For NV shares: 

On 22 May 2006 the following items were implemented (i) redenomination of the outstanding Unilever N.V. share capital into euro, (ii) split of the Unilever N.V. ordinary shares and the depositary receipts thereof 3 to 1, and (iii) dematerialisation of the Unilever N.V. shares (and the depositary receipts thereof).

Dealings in the new Unilever N.V. ordinary shares (ISIN-code NL 0000388619) and of the depositary receipts thereof (ISIN-code 0000009355) with a nominal value of EUR 0.16 on Euronext Amsterdam and the stock exchange in Frankfurt commenced on 22 May 2006. Unilever N.V. depositary receipts for ordinary shares delisted from the stock exchange in Frankfurt on 26 June 2006. 

Dealings in the new Unilever N.V. ordinary shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.16 on the New York Stock Exchange commenced on 25 May 2006.