Unilever Consumer Care, which markets international brands like Horlicks, Maltova, Boost and GlucoMax D, reported higher earnings in the second quarter of this year ending in June despite declining sales revenue amid high inflation.

This subsidiary of Unilever Bangladesh said its profit after tax rose nearly 15 percent year-on-year to Tk 18.94 crore.

It made a profit of Tk 41.32 crore in the first half of 2024, up nearly 13 percent from the same period last year, according to its unaudited financial statements.

Earnings per share (EPS) rose to Tk 21.44 from January to June, up from Tk 19.02 a year ago.

The company's revenue fell 5.44 percent year-on-year to Tk 77.12 crore in the April-June quarter, while the first half sales declined 10.45 percent to Tk 171.10 crore from Tk 191.07 crore.

The latest declines come on the back of a 3 percent year-on-year decrease in sales to Tk 395 crore in 2023.

However, the company's net operating cash flow per share grew thanks to optimisation of production costs and operating expenses.

"Even with the decrease in revenue and lower one-off benefit coming out of reassessment of past liabilities and obligations, EPS has improved due to efficiency in operating expenses," it said.

The fast-moving consumer goods company also attributed the surge in profit to an increase in net finance income and a one-off waiver of technology and trademark royalty granted by the parent company.

Its stock traded at Tk 2,553 on Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday.