Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the ten research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.55.

A number of research analysts recently commented on UL shares. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on Unilever and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. DZ Bank cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UL. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Asset Dedication LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 108.8% in the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $73.25 on Friday. Unilever has a 52-week low of $61.78 and a 52-week high of $74.97. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $67.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.13.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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. Analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%.

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.