Unilever (NYSE:UL) Rating Lowered to Hold at Kepler Capital Markets

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by equities researchers at Kepler Capital Markets from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on UL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $72.38 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $67.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.06. Unilever has a 1 year low of $61.50 and a 1 year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Unilever will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 140.4% in the fourth quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,000 after buying an additional 1,165 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,616,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,526,000 after acquiring an additional 323,393 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 165,951 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,853,000 after purchasing an additional 8,503 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $242,000. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $973,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.