Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UL. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Argus raised shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Kepler Capital Markets lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd.

Unilever Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of UL stock opened at $65.41 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $68.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.01. Unilever has a 12 month low of $61.78 and a 12 month high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last released its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.5547 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Unilever by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,054,973,000 after buying an additional 2,935,227 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 4.4% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 22,537,917 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,048,000 after acquiring an additional 959,269 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Unilever by 1.6% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,773,638 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,261,000 after acquiring an additional 91,049 shares in the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $268,704,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Unilever by 3.5% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,001,060 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,183,000 after acquiring an additional 133,776 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.