Johnson & Johnson vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Johnson & Johnson reported $94.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $26.8B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Johnson & Johnson
- Latest revenue
- $94.2B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $26.8B
- Net margin
- 28.5%
- Revenue growth
- +3.0% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Unilever
- Latest revenue
- ~$57.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$10.7B
- Net margin
- 18.7%
- Revenue growth
- -0.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Johnson & Johnson
J&J's sales grew from $85.2 billion in 2023 to $88.8 billion in 2024 and $94.2 billion in 2025, while FY2025 net earnings reached $26.8 billion. Q2 2026 sales were $25.31 billion (Innovative Medicine $16.38 billion, MedTech $8.93 billion), net earnings were $5.53 billion, adjusted EPS was $2.90, and first-half free cash flow was about $8.7 billion. Management guides 2026 sales of $100.8 to $101.4 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.60 to $11.75. The company has raised its dividend for more than 60 consecutive years, and its market value was roughly $644 billion in mid-September 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
Johnson & Johnson
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $94.2B | $26.8B | 28.5% | +6.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $88.8B | $14.1B | 15.8% | +4.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $85.2B | $35.2B | 41.3% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $80B | $17.9B | 22.4% | +1.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $78.7B | $20.9B | 26.5% | -4.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $82.6B | $14.7B | 17.8% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2019 | $82.1B | $15.1B | 18.4% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $81.6B | $15.3B | 18.8% | +6.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $76.5B | $1.3B | 1.7% | +6.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $71.9B | $16.5B | 23.0% | — | 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
Johnson & Johnson
- Innovative Medicine~64%
Innovative Medicine generated $60.401 billion in FY2025 sales across oncology, immunology, neuroscience, pulmonary hypertension, infectious disease, and cardiovascular/metabolism.
- MedTech~36%
MedTech generated $33.792 billion in FY2025 sales across surgery, orthopaedics, cardiovascular, and vision products.
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
Johnson & Johnson
How it makes money
J&J makes money in two ways. Innovative Medicine (about 64% of FY2025 sales, $60.4 billion) sells patented prescription medicines to wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, hospitals, and governments; key products include DARZALEX for multiple myeloma, TREMFYA and STELARA in immunology, ERLEADA in prostate cancer, CARVYKTI cell therapy, and CAPLYTA, added through the 2025 Intra-Cellular Therapies deal.
Growth strategy
J&J is narrowing its portfolio toward higher-growth areas. It spun off consumer health as Kenvue in 2023, announced in October 2025 that it will separate its orthopaedics business as DePuy Synthes, and used acquisitions to refill its pipeline: Abiomed ($16.6 billion, 2022), Shockwave Medical ($13.1 billion, 2024), and Intra-Cellular Therapies ($14.6 billion, 2025).
Competitive advantage
J&J's edge is breadth plus balance-sheet strength. It runs one of the largest pharmaceutical R&D budgets in the industry, holds a AAA credit rating from S&P (one of only two US companies with that rating, alongside Microsoft), and sells into hospitals across pharmaceuticals and devices at the same time.
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 Johnson & Johnson vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — Johnson & Johnson or Unilever PLC?
Johnson & Johnson reported $94.2B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Johnson & Johnson is the larger business, with Unilever PLC reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Johnson & Johnson vs Unilever PLC?
Johnson & Johnson's market capitalisation stands at $643.9B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. Johnson & Johnson carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Unilever PLC.
Which is more financially efficient — Johnson & Johnson or Unilever PLC?
Johnson & Johnson generates $669k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. Johnson & Johnson 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 Johnson & Johnson and Unilever PLC make money?
Johnson & Johnson and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Johnson & Johnson: J&J makes money in two ways. 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 — Johnson & Johnson or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Johnson & Johnson trades at 6.8x P/S and Unilever PLC at 2.3x P/S. Johnson & Johnson commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Unilever PLC. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Johnson & Johnson bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, Johnson & Johnson ($94.2B (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 Johnson & Johnson vs Unilever overview