Unilever (NYSE:UL) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold”

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group upgraded Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.33.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL opened at $63.47 on Tuesday. Unilever has a one year low of $51.90 and a one year high of $65.87. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $60.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.81. The company 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $176,806,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 140.1% in the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company’s stock worth $210,883,000 after buying an additional 2,170,242 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 66.4% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,881,000 after buying an additional 1,378,517 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,017,253,000 after buying an additional 1,214,563 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.