Food giant reports rising sales and boosts dividend

Anglo-Dutch food and consumer products giant Unilever on Thursday reported rising sales and boosted its shareholder dividend in its first earnings update since seeing off a bid attempt by Kraft Heinz.

Sales rose 6.1 percent in the three months to March to 13.3 billion euros ($14.3 billion), partly explained by favourable exchange rate factors, and ahead of analysts' expectations.

Earlier this month, it announced the sale of its margarine division to butter up investors, many of whom had been doubtful about the rejection of the proposed tie-up with Kraft.

On Thursday, it announced a 12 percent hike in its dividend for the quarter, "reflecting the confidence in our outlook", according to its statement.

It had already flagged a share buyback to the tune of five billion euros, a strategy of ploughing cash back to shareholders.

Unilever also predicted improving profit margins for the rest of the year.

In the first quarter, Unilever said that its sales grew faster than its markets, and that its strategy over the past months had made the company "more agile and closer to the local markets, unlocking both further growth and margin".

Analysts have called the Kraft Heinz bid a "massive wake-up call" for the company.

Unilever snubbed Kraft's offer which would have valued it at a whopping $143 billion, saying it "fundamentally undervalued" the group.

Global food companies have been struggling with anaemic economic growth in many key markets amid changing and health-conscious lifestyles.