AXA vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AXA reported ~$131.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$11.1B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
AXA
AXA's results combine large, slow-moving premium income with investment income on the reserves it holds. In 2025 gross written premiums and other revenues rose 6% to ~$131 billion (EUR 116 billion), underlying earnings rose 6% to ~$9.49 billion (EUR 8.4 billion), underlying earnings per share rose 8% to EUR 3.86 and net income rose to ~$11.1 billion (EUR 9.80 billion), helped by the gain on the sale of AXA Investment Managers. The property and casualty combined ratio improved 0.3 points to 90.6%, so underwriting itself was profitable before investment income. The Solvency II ratio ended 2025 at 224%, and 215% on January 1, 2026 once capital instruments under Solvency II transitional measures stopped qualifying. AXA proposed a dividend of EUR 2.32 per share for 2025, up 8%, alongside an annual buyback of up to $1.41 billion (EUR 1.25 billion).
Unilever
Unilever's 2025 turnover from continuing operations was ~$57.1 billion (EUR 50.5 billion), down 3.8% in reported terms because of adverse currency moves and disposals, even as underlying sales grew 3.5% with 1.5% from volume. Free cash flow was ~$6.67 billion (EUR 5.9 billion), about $757 million (EUR 670 million) of productivity savings had been delivered by the end of 2025, and the company announced a new ~$1.69 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) share buyback. Momentum improved in 2026: first-half turnover was ~$28.9 billion (EUR 25.6 billion) (up 0.5%), underlying sales grew 4.8% with 4.2% volume, Q2 underlying growth reached 5.8%, and the underlying operating margin was 20.3%. Unilever raised its full-year outlook after the H1 2026 results.
Revenue and profit by year
AXA
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$131.1B | ~$11.1B | 8.4% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$124.6B | ~$8.9B | 7.2% | +7.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$116.1B | ~$8.1B | 7.0% | +0.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$115.3B | — | 0.0% | +2.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$112.9B | ~$8.2B | 7.3% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$109.6B | — | 0.0% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$117B | — | 0.0% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$116.3B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$113B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
Unilever
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$57.1B | ~$10.7B | 18.7% | -3.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.5B | 10.9% | +1.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$58.4B | ~$7.3B | 12.6% | -14.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$67.9B | ~$8.6B | 12.7% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.8B | 11.5% | +3.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$57.3B | ~$6.3B | 11.0% | -2.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$58.7B | ~$6.4B | 10.8% | +2.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$57.6B | ~$10.6B | 18.4% | -5.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$60.7B | ~$6.8B | 11.2% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$59.6B | ~$5.9B | 9.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
AXA
- Property & Casualty Insurance~50%
Gross written premiums and revenues of ~$65.5 billion (EUR 58 billion) in 2025, up 5%, including personal lines of ~$22.3 billion (EUR 19.7 billion) and AXA XL Reinsurance of ~$2.94 billion (EUR 2.6 billion). The 90.6% combined ratio means the book was profitable before investment income.
- Life & Savings Insurance~32%
~$42.4 billion (EUR 37.5 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 9%, with unit-linked business up 13%. Capital-light savings and protection contracts have replaced much of the traditional guaranteed savings book.
- Health Insurance~16%
~$21.5 billion (EUR 19 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 5% on pricing, spanning individual cover, group schemes and employee benefits. Health earnings grew 17% in 2025.
- Asset Management (divested July 2025)~1%
AXA Investment Managers contributed revenues only until July 1, 2025, when it was sold to BNP Paribas Cardif for ~$5.76 billion (EUR 5.1 billion) in cash out of a ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) total transaction value.
Unilever
- Power Brands
78% of 2025 turnover
Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO, Knorr and the other Power Brands made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
- Beauty & Wellbeing
Not formally reported
One of four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger; it includes prestige beauty and wellbeing supplements.
- Personal Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Home Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Foods
Not formally reported
Largely to be combined with McCormick in a pending transaction; it includes Unilever Food Solutions for foodservice.
Business model and strategy
AXA
How it makes money
AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits).
Growth strategy
AXA grows mostly organically in insurance lines it can price, supplemented by bolt-on deals: Laya Healthcare in Ireland and GACM España in 2023, and a 51% stake in the Italian direct insurer Prima announced in 2025 for ~$565 million (EUR 500 million). The bigger strategic move has been simplification.
Competitive advantage
AXA's main advantage is a diversified risk pool. Writing motor, home, commercial property, liability, health and life cover in 52 countries lets one bad year in a single market or line be absorbed elsewhere: in 2025 growth in health and European commercial lines offset pressure in other portfolios. Its balance sheet supports that spread, with a Solvency II ratio of 224% at the end of 2025.
Unilever
How it makes money
Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce. After the 2025 Ice Cream demerger it reports four business groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods. Its Power Brands, such as Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO and Knorr, made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
Growth strategy
Under Fernando Fernandez, Unilever is concentrating investment behind about 30 Power Brands, increasing marketing spend through social and influencer channels, rotating the portfolio toward premium beauty and wellbeing (2025 deals included Dr. Squatch, Wild and Minimalist), and separating lower-growth food and ice cream assets.
Competitive advantage
Unilever's advantage is a mix of trusted brands, emerging-market distribution, local manufacturing, repeat-purchase categories, Power Brand marketing scale, and deep category knowledge in personal care, home care, beauty, and foods.
Questions about AXA vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — AXA SA or Unilever PLC?
AXA SA reported ~$131.1B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, AXA SA is the larger business, with Unilever PLC reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of AXA SA vs Unilever PLC?
AXA SA's market capitalisation stands at $90.3B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. Unilever PLC carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to AXA SA.
Which is more financially efficient — AXA SA or Unilever PLC?
AXA SA generates $840k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. AXA SA shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do AXA SA and Unilever PLC make money?
AXA SA and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AXA SA: AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits). Unilever PLC: Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AXA SA or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AXA SA trades at 0.7x P/S and Unilever PLC at 2.3x P/S. Unilever PLC commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to AXA SA. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AXA SA bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, AXA SA (~$131.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Unilever PLC (~$57.1B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AXA vs Unilever overview