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

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

UL has been the topic of several analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Kepler Capital Markets lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. DZ Bank lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th.

Unilever Stock Performance

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

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.5547 dividend. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

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