Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $61.75.

A number of research firms have weighed in on UL. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th.

Unilever Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of Unilever stock traded down $1.08 on Tuesday, hitting $54.89. 2,502,253 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,635,918. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $57.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.35. Unilever has a 12-month low of $46.46 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The company has a market cap of $136.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.91, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.50.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.41%. Unilever's payout ratio is presently 54.49%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 155.2% during the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 8,415 shares of the company's stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 5,117 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Unilever by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,180,000 after purchasing an additional 15,941 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 3rd quarter valued at $11,694,000. WCM Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Unilever by 236.2% in the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company's stock worth $1,997,000 after buying an additional 21,441 shares during the period. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,388,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

About Unilever

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.