Barclays vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Barclays reported ~$35.4B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$8.2B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Barclays
Barclays reported revenue of about $35.4 billion (GBP 26.82 billion) and net income of about $8.14 billion (GBP 6.17 billion) in 2025, up from about $32 billion (GBP 24.25 billion) and about $7.02 billion (GBP 5.32 billion) in 2024. The UK retail bank produces steady profits, while the investment bank needs large capital reserves and earns unevenly, doing well in strong markets and poorly in weak ones. For years activist investors pressed management to shrink or sell the investment bank, arguing that its volatile earnings held down the group's valuation.
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
Barclays
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$35.4B | ~$8.2B | 23.0% | +10.6% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$32B | ~$7B | 21.9% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$31B | ~$5.6B | 18.2% | -1.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$31.3B | ~$6.6B | 21.2% | +5.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$29.8B | ~$8.2B | 27.5% | — | 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
Barclays
- Net Interest Income (Retail & Mortgages)~45%
The foundational engine of the ring-fenced Barclays UK entity, generated from the spread between interest earned on a $254 billion+ mortgage book and commercial loans, and the interest paid on a stable, low-cost retail deposit base. This stream provides predictable, counter-cyclical cash flows that anchor the bank's overall profitability and fund its domestic lending operations.
- Corporate & Institutional Banking Fees~25%
Revenue derived from providing sophisticated treasury management, cross-border trade finance, foreign exchange (FX) hedging, and syndicated lending solutions to multinational corporations and large institutional clients. This capital-efficient stream generates substantial fee-based income that is largely uncorrelated with the domestic interest rate cycle.
- FICC Trading & Market Making~20%
The most valuable asset of the investment bank, generating revenues through market-making, proprietary trading, and client facilitation in European credit, interest rate derivatives, and emerging market currencies. This stream is volatile but generates exceptional, counter-cyclical profits during periods of macroeconomic and geopolitical market volatility.
- Wealth Management & Advisory Fees~10%
A rapidly scaling, capital-light revenue stream derived from management fees, performance fees, and advisory commissions generated by the bank's private banking and asset management operations for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals across the UK and Europe.
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
Barclays
How it makes money
Barclays operates a 'universal banking' model, aiming to do everything for everyone. In the UK, they operate like a traditional utility, taking in cheap consumer deposits and issuing mortgages and credit cards (Barclaycard). Globally, the investment bank generates revenue entirely differently, acting as a large middleman.
Growth strategy
Under pressure to lift its share price, Barclays is cutting costs and shifting toward businesses that need less capital. It announced a restructuring to shrink the investment bank's share of the group and reinvest in its retail and corporate businesses. The goal is steadier, more predictable returns for shareholders.
Competitive advantage
Barclays' advantage is a strong position in UK retail banking and the scale of Barclaycard, which give it a stable, low-cost deposit base. In investment banking, its position dates from buying Lehman Brothers' North American operations in 2008, which gave it a large presence on Wall Street. It is one of the few non-American banks that competes with JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs in the US market.
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 Barclays vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — Barclays PLC or Unilever PLC?
Barclays PLC reported ~$35.4B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC is the larger business, with Barclays PLC reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Barclays PLC vs Unilever PLC?
Barclays PLC's market capitalisation stands at $41.2B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. Unilever PLC carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Barclays PLC.
Which is more financially efficient — Barclays PLC or Unilever PLC?
Barclays PLC generates $427k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. Unilever PLC 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 Barclays PLC and Unilever PLC make money?
Barclays PLC and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Barclays PLC: Barclays operates a 'universal banking' model, aiming to do everything for everyone. 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 — Barclays PLC or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Barclays PLC trades at 1.2x 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 Barclays PLC. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Barclays PLC bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC (~$57.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Barclays PLC (~$35.4B (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 Barclays vs Unilever overview