, Columnist
Unilever's Ice Cream Plan to Keep Warren Buffett Licked
Company's response to Halo Top shows it has resources to fight back against nimble young brands -- and avoid being swallowed up.
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Eight months after fending off a takeover attempt by Kraft Heinz Company, Unilever NV has delivered another set of numbers showing how hard it is for large consumer companies to grow. To stay independent, Unilever will need to be more aggressive in doing takeovers itself.
The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods group increased sales by 2.6 percent in the third quarter. That's roughly in line with its markets. It should be outperforming. Unilever used to grow faster than 60 percent of its markets, now that figure is down to half. Sales in developed markets fell 2.3 percent; those in emerging markets rose 6.3 percent.