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

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two 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 brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $61.75.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UL. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $57.19. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,092,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,586,734. The company has a market cap of $141.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.48. Unilever has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.29.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a $0.4755 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.33%. This is an increase from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 56.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UL. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,726,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,086,547,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,177 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 26.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,384,944 shares of the company's stock valued at $241,145,000 after buying an additional 911,443 shares during the period. Saratoga Research & Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.8% during the second quarter. Saratoga Research & Investment Management now owns 2,767,207 shares of the company's stock valued at $152,169,000 after acquiring an additional 22,325 shares in the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 7.9% in the third quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,667,380 shares of the company's stock worth $173,273,000 after acquiring an additional 194,165 shares during the period. Finally, Fiera Capital Corp boosted its holdings in Unilever by 1,866.0% in the second quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 2,135,859 shares of the company's stock valued at $117,451,000 after acquiring an additional 2,027,221 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.