BP vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
BP reported $189.3B of revenue in FY2025 and $55M of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
BP
BP's 2025 revenue was $189.3 billion, nearly flat on 2024's $189.2 billion and below 2023's $210.1 billion. Underlying replacement-cost profit, the measure BP and analysts use to strip out inventory effects and one-off items, fell to $7.5 billion from $8.9 billion in 2024 as oil prices weakened, and profit attributable to shareholders was just $55 million after fourth-quarter charges. Operating cash flow was $24.5 billion and net debt ended the year at $22.2 billion. In February 2026 the board suspended buybacks so surplus cash could go to the balance sheet. Higher oil and gas prices linked to the conflict involving Iran, plus strong trading, lifted underlying replacement-cost profit to $3.2 billion in Q1 2026 and $5.7 billion in Q2 2026. With the Q2 results BP raised its quarterly dividend 4% to 8.66 cents per share and guided to $13.5-14 billion of capital spending for 2026.
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
BP
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $189.3B | $55M | 0.0% | +0.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | $189.2B | $381M | 0.2% | -10.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $210.1B | $15.2B | 7.3% | — | 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
BP
- Upstream oil and gas production
Not formally reported
Sales of crude oil, natural gas and LNG from BP-operated and partner fields in the Gulf of America, North Sea, Brazil, Middle East, Azerbaijan, Trinidad, Egypt and US onshore basins. Reported as the Upstream segment from July 1, 2026.
- Refining and fuels marketing
Not formally reported
Refined products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel sold wholesale and through about 21,000 BP, Amoco, ARCO and Aral retail sites. This is where most of BP's $189.3B of 2025 sales revenue is booked, because it includes resold crude and products.
- Convenience, lubricants and EV charging
Not formally reported
Higher-margin non-fuel income from convenience stores (ampm, Thorntons, TravelCenters of America, M&S Food in the UK), Castrol lubricants (BP's share falls to 35% once the Stonepeak sale closes) and bp pulse charging.
- Supply, trading and shipping
Not formally reported
Physical and financial trading of crude, products, gas, LNG and power that optimises BP's own flows and earns trading margins; strong trading was a major driver of the $5.7B Q2 2026 underlying profit.
- Low-carbon energy
Not formally reported
Smaller revenue from renewable natural gas (Archaea Energy), biofuels, and BP's 50% share of offshore wind joint venture JERA Nex bp.
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
BP
How it makes money
BP earns money at each stage of the oil and gas chain. Upstream, it finds and produces crude oil and natural gas in the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), the North Sea, Brazil, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Oman, Trinidad, Egypt and US onshore basins; output averaged 2.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in Q1 2026 and 2.2 million in Q2 2026.
Growth strategy
BP's current strategy dates from its February 2025 reset, which raised upstream oil and gas investment to about $10 billion a year, cut planned spending on transition businesses to $1.5-2 billion a year, and set targets of $20 billion of divestments and $14-18 billion of net debt by 2027.
Competitive advantage
BP's edge rests on three things that are hard to copy. The first is deepwater know-how and infrastructure, including five operated production hubs in the Gulf of America and a growing position offshore Brazil. The second is one of the industry's largest supply, trading and shipping businesses, which turned volatile oil and gas prices into profit in Q2 2026.
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 BP vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — BP plc or Unilever PLC?
BP plc reported $189.3B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, BP plc is the larger business, with Unilever PLC reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of BP plc vs Unilever PLC?
BP plc's market capitalisation stands at $112.2B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. Unilever PLC carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to BP plc.
Which is more financially efficient — BP plc or Unilever PLC?
BP plc generates $2.02M / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. BP 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 BP plc and Unilever PLC make money?
BP plc and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. BP plc: BP earns money at each stage of the oil and gas chain. 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 — BP plc or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, BP plc trades at 0.6x 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 BP plc. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is BP plc bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, BP plc ($189.3B (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 BP vs Unilever overview