Unilever (NYSE:UL) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at DZ Bank

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at DZ Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $71.98 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $61.67 and a 1 year high of $74.97. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.09.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Van Diest Capital LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $225,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its holdings in Unilever by 140.4% during the fourth quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its position in Unilever by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,616,603 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,526,000 after purchasing an additional 323,393 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 165,951 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,853,000 after purchasing an additional 8,503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $242,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.