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

Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL opened at $73.94 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $66.91 and a 200 day moving average of $68.03. Unilever has a 52-week low of $61.11 and a 52-week high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted 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, equities research analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Evelyn Partners Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Unilever in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,403,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 66.1% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 158,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,709,000 after acquiring an additional 63,197 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 12.2% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 463,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,331,000 after acquiring an additional 50,224 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 59.5% in the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,174,000 after acquiring an additional 7,159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 10.8% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 257,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,724,000 after acquiring an additional 24,956 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Company Profile

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.