Unilever pops 6% on guidance raise, says Ben & Jerry’s spinoff on track [Video]

Unilever shares popped on Thursday morning, after the consumer goods giant raised its full-year margin guidance and said the spinoff of its ice cream business was on track to complete by the end of 2025.

Shares climbed nearly 8% during the morning, before gains cooled to around 6.5% by 12:15 p.m. in London.

The company, whose vast portfolio of brands spans Dove, Axe, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Domestos, Marmite and Vaseline, recorded sales growth across all segments in first-half results published on Thursday. Beauty and well-being expanded 7.1%, while ice cream lagged other segments with just 0.6% of sales growth — which includes prices — and a 1% decline in volumes sold.

Unilever called the performance of ice cream, which totals 15% of group turnover, “disappointing.” Back in March, the company announced it would separate the unit, which includes Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum, in a bid to streamline its business across beauty and well-being, personal …