Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $66.33.

UL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Unilever from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE UL traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $63.17. 1,938,932 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,573,789. The business's 50-day moving average is $59.47 and its 200-day moving average is $58.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42. Unilever has a twelve month low of $51.34 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.5151 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.26%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.03%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. May Hill Capital LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the fourth quarter worth about $296,000. Auxano Advisors LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 30,840 shares of the company's stock worth $1,749,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 155.2% in the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 8,415 shares of the company's stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 5,117 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 655,964 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,193,000 after buying an additional 9,528 shares during the period. Finally, Argent Trust Co increased its position in Unilever by 34.2% during the 4th quarter. Argent Trust Co now owns 45,387 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,573,000 after purchasing an additional 11,555 shares during the period. 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.