ReutersConsumer goods giant Unilever PLC yesterday said that it expects sales growth this year to be slightly below its prior expectations, blaming a slowdown in South Asia and weakness in North America. In India — Unilever’s second-largest market by sales — irregular monsoons have dented rural spending, while a sluggish job market has weakened consumption in urban areas. The company said that it now expects underlying sales growth for this year to be slightly below its previous guidance of sales coming in at the lower half of its 3 to 5 percent forecast range. Unilever shares yesterday morning fell as much as 5 percent in Amsterdam, the steepest decline in two years. The new outlook implies fourth-quarter growth are to be the weakest in more than a decade, RBC Europe Ltd analysts said.

Source: Taipei Times December 17, 2019 15:56 UTC