Unilever first-quarter sales top expectations

LONDON (Reuters) - Consumer goods giant Unilever reported stronger than expected quarterly underlying sales growth on Thursday, helped by higher prices and volume and strength in emerging markets.

The maker of Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream also stood by its forecast for the full year, which calls for underlying sales growth in the lower half of a 3-5 percent range.

Underlying sales, stripping out acquisitions, disposals and currency moves, rose 3.1 percent in the first quarter. Analysts on average were expecting a 2.8 percent rise, according to a company-supplied consensus forecast.

Turnover fell 1.6 percent to 12.4 billion euros (£10.7 billion).

(Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter)