Unilever's sales surge in the second quarter

Unilever, the consumer goods giant, delivered second-quarter revenues ahead of City expectations, boosted by price hikes and a strong performance in western Europe and emerging markets.

The maker of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream delivered a 7.1 per cent uplift in sales to €11.9bn in the quarter to 30 June.

Paul Polman, the chief executive of Unilever, said: "In a tough and volatile environment we have again delivered strong growth. Volumes were robust and in line with the market, despite having taken price increases."