Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $61.75.

Several brokerages have recently commented on UL. Bank of America raised Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th.

Unilever Price Performance

UL opened at $64.41 on Friday. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $46.16 and a fifty-two week high of $65.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.53 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s 50-day moving average is $62.09 and its 200 day moving average is $55.71.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.4773 per share. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.10%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UL. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Unilever by 4.1% in the second quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,193 shares of the company’s stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc increased its holdings in Unilever by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 6,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its stake in Unilever by 17.3% in the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,186 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Bailard Inc. lifted its holdings in Unilever by 1.2% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 15,014 shares of the company’s stock valued at $826,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gallacher Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 2.5% during the second quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 7,575 shares of the company’s stock worth $417,000 after purchasing an additional 182 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.