# Owner of Ben & Jerry’s shrugs off dispute while ice cream profits melt

By Dan Coatsworth — 2026-02-12

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said: “The Magnum Ice Cream Company has seen its share price melt faster than a Cornetto left in the sun after its maiden results as an independent entity.

“The spin-off from Unilever meant the results were always likely to be messy with one-off costs associated with the split.

“However, investors were still unimpressed by the big drop in annual profit and cash flow, raising questions about how the process was communicated and managed.

“The share price sell-off suggests lots of Unilever holders were looking for any excuse to offload the Magnum shares they were handed as part of the demerger.

“From Unilever’s perspective it just reinforces the decision to exit the ice cream business to focus on its core brands.

“Ice cream is seasonal and has higher storage and distribution costs.

“A further concern for the market is the potential impact of weight-loss drugs on people’s appetite for high calorie, indulgent ice cream products.

“Looking for positives, the 2026 outlook has been maintained, sales and volumes were higher in 2025, and the hope will be that sentiment towards the Magnum Ice Cream Company might improve with the weather in the coming months.”

Canonical: https://experts.pressassociation.com/expert/8/views/d70beb2d1afd2d34