Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $58.33.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on UL shares. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Argus boosted their target price on Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $61.07 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $56.23 and its 200-day moving average is $52.07. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $61.15. The company has a market capitalization of $152.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.50, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.46.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.4773 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.13%. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.55%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UL. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at about $151,263,000. Equity Investment Corp boosted its holdings in Unilever by 107.1% during the 1st quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,910,751 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,091,000 after acquiring an additional 1,505,233 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Unilever by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,672,275,000 after acquiring an additional 1,114,417 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,843,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $525,716,000 after purchasing an additional 965,173 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 121.3% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,352,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,568,000 after purchasing an additional 741,363 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.