Key Highlights

● Unilever's ADRs were at $65.88, up 2.65%, in an 8:23 a.m. ET snapshot.

● A news summary cites 5.2% underlying sales growth and upgraded full-year Volume guidance.

● Colgate-Palmolive raised its 2026 outlook, and staples gained as Nasdaq-100 futures fell 2.6%.

● The 10-year Treasury Yield near 4.94% to 4.99% supports dividend-paying defensive stocks.

Unilever (NYSE:UL)'s US-listed shares were gaining ground early Friday. Market data showed the consumer-goods maker at $65.88, up 2.65%, in a pre-market snapshot updated at 8:23 a.m. ET.

The attached news summary links the move to the company's third-quarter trading update. It cites underlying sales growth of 5.2% and an upgrade to full-year volume guidance. The source notes that its summaries are generated automatically and may not reflect the direct cause of a price move. Unilever's own release was not available in the sources reviewed, so the split between price and volume and the new guidance wording are not given here.

Why volume is the number investors care about

For a company that sells Dove soap, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Knorr stock cubes and dozens of other everyday brands, volume growth shows whether more shoppers are buying its products, not just paying more for them. After years in which consumer-goods makers leaned on price increases to offset cost inflation, investors have been watching for real unit growth.

Raising the volume outlook, if confirmed by the full release, would suggest Unilever's turnaround is landing with consumers. That matters because Inflation remains a Factor in many of its markets. In the US, September core PCE inflation came in at 3.1% year over year, and euro-area inflation is running near 4%, keeping pressure on household budgets.

Unilever's American depositary shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange and are part of the NYSE Composite, the broad index of all common stock listed there. The NYSE Composite includes foreign companies' ADRs, which makes it a natural home for global staples like Unilever.

A good day for staples

Unilever is not alone. Consumer-staples stocks are getting a lift on a morning when investors are cutting exposure to high-growth technology. Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) reported on Friday and raised its 2026 outlook. It now expects net sales growth of 4% to 5% and Base Business EPS growth of 5% to 7%, according to its SEC filing. "Our growth momentum continued, delivering another strong quarter of broad-based top- and bottom-line growth," CEO Noel Wallace said. Market data showed Colgate up 5.09% and Church & Dwight (NYSE:CHD) up 4.82% as of 8:23 a.m. ET.

The broader market is moving the other way. Market quotes at about 8 a.m. ET showed Nasdaq-100 futures down 2.6% and S&P 500 futures down 1.1%, as results from Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) revived concerns about returns on AI spending. Dow futures were flat.

Bond markets are offering some help as well. The 10-year Treasury yield was about 4.94% to 4.99% on Friday, down roughly 30 basis points in October after topping 5.30% earlier in the month. Steady Dividend payers like Unilever often trade partly as bond substitutes, so falling yields can make them more attractive.

Some of Unilever's gain may reflect this rotation into defensive names rather than its own numbers alone. That is an inference, but the pattern across staples is clear in the pre-market data.

Risks and what comes next

Currency is one risk. Unilever reports in euros and earns much of its Revenue in emerging markets, so swings in the dollar and in local currencies can blur underlying performance for US holders. Commodity costs are another. Brent Crude is trading near $118 a barrel on Hormuz tensions, which could push up packaging, freight and ingredient costs over time.

At the open, watch whether the gains in staples hold if the tech selloff deepens or eases. Analyst notes on the quality of the volume upgrade are likely later in the day. Next week brings Tuesday's US midterm elections and the October jobs report on Friday, Nov. 6, both of which could shape the case for defensive stocks.