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

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the ten analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $66.33.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UL. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL stock traded up $2.74 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $62.60. The company had a trading volume of 6,598,592 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,552,268. The firm's fifty day moving average is $57.82 and its 200 day moving average is $59.14. Unilever has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $155.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Remove Ads

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.99%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UL. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $176,806,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in Unilever by 140.1% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company's stock worth $210,883,000 after acquiring an additional 2,170,242 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 66.4% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,454,686 shares of the company's stock valued at $195,881,000 after acquiring an additional 1,378,517 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Unilever by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,017,253,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214,563 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.