Unilever (NYSE:UL) Lowered to Hold Rating by DZ Bank

DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on UL. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $72.38 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 12 month low of $61.50 and a 12 month high of $74.97. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $67.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.06.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. Research analysts expect that Unilever will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Asset Dedication LLC grew its position in Unilever by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.