HUL stock, a steady performer, has given 49% returns in 9 qtrs

Moneycontrol BureauFMCG major Hindustan Unilever's stock has given handsome returns to investors over the last nine quarters. The disappointing first quarter results were only a blip in an otherwise strong track record.In the period under review, the stock gave the highest returns of over 18 percent in the September quarter of 2014, and exactly a year later it touched a low of over -11 percent. It shows that out of the last 9 quarters the stock has given positive returns 8 times. The stock outperformed the benchmark Sensex 5 times in the period.HUL Vs SensexFrom the start of FY15 till the first quarter of FY17, HUL gained a whopping 49 percent against Sensex's 20 percent in the same period.Results Corner: Yesterday, HUL declared its first quarter results for FY17. Its net profit rose 9.8 percent at Rs 1,174 crore in April-June quarter from Rs 1069.2 crore in the year-ago period. This was aided by a one-time write-back of provision benefits arising from plan amendments.In Q1, its total income was up marginally 3.6 percent at Rs 8128.2 crore compared to Rs 7844.5 crore year-on-year.