From Coke to Hellmann's, consumer goods giants warn inflation may dent profits

Prices in the US rose by 7.5% last month — the largest surge in inflation for four decades

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Unilever have all warned of the effects of inflation on their profit margins.

Some of the world’s biggest popular consumer goods companies — from PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to Magnum ice cream and Hellmann’s mayonnaise maker Unilever — have warned that runaway inflation may soon start to dent their profits.

Unilever — which also makes such grocery staples as Domestos, Knorr, and Dove soap — reported better than expected underlying sales growth of 4.9% for its fourth quarter and said it expects underlying sales growth of between 4.5% and 6.5% this year.