Nair will become the first female MD & CEO in HUL’s 92-year history. She is currently the President, Beauty & Wellbeing in 2023, where she managed a €13.2 billion business with hair and skin care brands including Dove, Sunsilk, Clear and Vaseline.
Abneesh Roy, Executive Director at Nuvama Institutional Equities, said the management change at Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is being viewed as a positive catalyst by investors.
Roy attributed this to Nair’s deep India experience and familiarity with stakeholders, saying, “Investors have interacted with Priya in events, analyst meets, etc., so she’s a known face.”
He explained that HUL’s volume growth is on the mend, with expectations of a 4% increase year-on-year (YoY) in the April-June quarter of 2025 (Q1FY26), compared to 2% growth reported in the January-March quarter of 2025 (Q4FY25). Full-year, 2025-26 (FY26), volume growth could reach 6%, helped by falling input costs.
He said, “Palm oil has corrected sharply… coffee cost has also corrected 30%,” which should aid margins and allow HUL to step up advertising, innovation, and promotions in the second half.
Also Read: Meet Priya Nair – HUL’s first woman MD & CEO
With macroeconomic tailwinds returning and input inflation cooling, Roy believes that investor interest could shift back into staples, especially given the volatility in sectors like technology. In his view, HUL, as the category leader, is likely to benefit most from this shift.
Roy also highlighted strategic areas of focus under the new leadership, particularly in direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels and the beauty and well-being segment, where Nair brings global experience. Her long tenure in India and success in premiumising categories, such as home care, further enhance execution visibility.
Commenting on Rohit Java’s short but effective stint as CEO, Roy said he steered HUL through a challenging macro environment and left the company with improving volumes and a more stable outlook.
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Roy reaffirmed confidence in the stock’s prospects, saying the structural story remains intact and the leadership transition is not expected to disrupt momentum.
JPMorgan has an “overweight” recommendation on HUL with a price target of ₹2,500. The brokerage said that growth initiatives and drive towards improving volumes will only get better from Priya Nair’s experience.
Shares of Hindustan Unilever are trading 4.7% higher at ₹2,521. With this move, the company’s market capitalisation has surged back towards ₹6 lakh crore.
For the entire interview, watch the accompanying video
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