MUMBAI, Oct. 29 -- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) reported flat profit in the September quarter, even as rising input costs threaten to squeeze its margins in the coming quarters. The country's largest consumer goods maker reported consolidated net profit of Rs.2,796 crore, unchanged from a year earlier. This was due to a one-off tax-related gains of Rs.273 crore in exceptional items in the base period. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) margin fell 140 basis points to 22.6%. The personal care segment, which includes brands such as Dove and Closeup and is the third-largest category by revenue, reported a year-on-year decline in Ebitda to Rs.449 crore from Rs.492 crore. Rising crude oil and commodity prices threaten to weigh on consumer companies' profitability in the coming quarters. Brent crude hovered around $115 a barrel on Wednesday, up 90% from a year earlier. Crude-linked inputs are used in several HUL products, including Surf Excel and Wheel detergents. The Nifty FMCG index has fallen about 20% this year, making it one of the worst-performing sectors in the Indian stock market. HUL shares fell as much as 2.63% on the National Stock Exchange after the results were announced, before closing at Rs.1,815, down 0.41% from Tuesday's close. The company cut its advertising and promotion spending. "Investors remain concerned about margin sustainability, as profitability was shielded by cutting ad spend," said Sandeep Abhange, consumer and midcaps analyst at LKP Securities. "As the company enters a high volume base in the upcoming quarters, it will become key if the company can maintain this growth," he added. India's retail inflation rose to 5.54% in September, a 22-month high, from 4.83% in August. Rising costs are prompting consumer companies to increase prices to protect profitability, and HUL is no exception. "We will continue to take pricing (hikes), as we've said, depending on how costs come in," chief executive officer Priya Nair said at a post-results media briefing. She did not provide guidance on profit for the coming quarters. At 7%, volume growth in Q2 FY27 (September quarter) is the highest the company has seen in 21 quarters. The company also declared an interim dividend of Rs.19 per share.htc...