Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS): FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) on Thursday reported an increase of 9 per cent in its net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2018.

According to the company, its net profit during the quarter under review rose to Rs 1,444 crore from Rs 1,326 crore reported for the corresponding period last year.

Besides, the company reported that its "Domestic Consumer Growth" was 13 per cent with "Underlying Volume Growth" at 10 per cent.

The company's EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) margin was up 170 basis points and profit after tax (before exceptional items) grew 17 per cent.

"We have delivered another strong performance in the quarter, with double-digit volume growth and improvement in margins. Our focus on strengthening the core and leading market development by tapping into emerging trends has been yielding results across categories," said Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, HUL.

"In the near term, demand is likely to be stable. We will keep a close watch on the macro-economic environment and respond with agility. We remain focused on our strategic agenda of delivering 'Consistent, Competitive, Profitable and Responsible' growth."