Roche vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Roche reported ~$76B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$15.5B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Roche
Roche's 2025 group sales were ~$73.8 billion (CHF 61.5 billion), up 7% at constant exchange rates but only 2% in Swiss francs. Core operating profit grew 13% CER to ~$26.2 billion (CHF 21.8 billion), core EPS was CHF 19.46, and IFRS net income jumped to ~$16.6 billion (CHF 13.8 billion) from ~$11 billion (CHF 9.2 billion) in 2024, when impairments depressed profit. In H1 2026 core operating margin widened 1.7 points to 39.0%, while a strong franc pushed reported sales down 2%. The board raised the dividend to CHF 9.80, the 39th consecutive increase, and guided for mid-single-digit CER sales growth and high-single-digit core EPS growth in 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
Roche
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$76B | ~$15.5B | 20.3% | +1.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$74.9B | ~$9.9B | 13.3% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$72.5B | ~$13.8B | 19.0% | -8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$79B | ~$14.9B | 18.9% | -0.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$79B | ~$16.7B | 21.2% | — | 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
Roche
- Prescription medicines
- Biologics and oncology drugs
- Diagnostic instruments
- Diagnostic reagents and tests
- Sequencing and molecular diagnostics
- Clinical data and companion diagnostics
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
Roche
How it makes money
Roche makes money in two ways. The Pharmaceuticals Division (~$57.2 billion (CHF 47.7 billion) in 2025) sells patented medicines, mostly biologics, in oncology, neuroscience, immunology, ophthalmology and haemophilia; top growth drivers in 2025 were Phesgo, Xolair, Ocrevus, Hemlibra and Vabysmo.
Growth strategy
Roche is building a cardiovascular, renal and metabolic franchise through acquisitions of Carmot Therapeutics (2023, $2.7 billion upfront) and 89bio (2025, up to about $3.5 billion), the petrelintide partnership with Zealand Pharma, and a new Innovation Center in Boston opened in September 2026.
Competitive advantage
Roche's edge comes from three things: scale in both drugs and diagnostics, a long-horizon ownership structure, and a federated R&D model. The Hoffmann and Oeri family pool holds the majority of voting shares, which shields management from takeover pressure.
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 Roche vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Unilever PLC?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG reported ~$76B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is the larger business, with Unilever PLC reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG vs Unilever PLC?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG's market capitalisation stands at $355.0B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Unilever PLC.
Which is more financially efficient — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Unilever PLC?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG generates $674k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG 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 F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG and Unilever PLC make money?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG: Roche 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 — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG trades at 4.7x P/S and Unilever PLC at 2.3x P/S. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG 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 F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (~$76B (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 Roche vs Unilever overview