UBS Group Upgrades Unilever (NYSE:UL) to “Hold”

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was upgraded by analysts at UBS Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on UL. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of UL opened at $63.47 on Friday. Unilever has a 12-month low of $51.90 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $156.53 billion, a PE ratio of 18.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.44. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.84.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Mission Wealth Management LP grew its stake in Unilever by 1.4% during the first quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 11,497 shares of the company’s stock worth $685,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 16,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Unilever by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 21,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,280,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 39,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,379,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinion Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $524,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment engages in the sale of hair care products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling; skin care products including face, hand, and body moisturizer; and prestige beauty and health & wellbeing products consist of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements.