Unilever 'considering 4bn pound share buyback'

9th Apr 2014 09:24

Shares in Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever rose after reports suggested it is considering returning cash to investors.Unilever, whose brands include favourites such as Dove Soap, Radox shower gel, Flora spreads and Pot Noodle, may unveil a £4bn share buyback at its quarterly results on April 24th, according to market speculation cited by the Financial Times.Unilever said in its annual results in January that it had free cash flow of €3.9bn in 2013 while core earnings per share were up 3% to €1.58, although net debt had risen to €8.5bn versus €7.4bn a year earlier.The group's shares rose 9p to 2,615p at 09:29 in London.PW