Unilever (NYSE:UL) Upgraded by StockNews.com to "Buy" Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on UL. DZ Bank raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE UL traded up $0.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $59.24. The stock had a trading volume of 2,380,209 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,527,166. The firm has a market cap of $146.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.97, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $46.46 and a fifty-two week high of $65.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $56.69 and a 200-day moving average of $59.84.

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Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.16%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,250 shares of the company's stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. Tyler Stone Wealth Management increased its stake in Unilever by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management now owns 6,576 shares of the company's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. increased its stake in Unilever by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 9,956 shares of the company's stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 39,530 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,568,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. increased its stake in Unilever by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,646 shares of the company's stock valued at $320,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.