Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives $61.75 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eight analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment 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 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $61.75.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th.

Unilever Stock Performance

NYSE:UL opened at $57.46 on Monday. Unilever has a 52-week low of $46.46 and a 52-week high of $65.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $59.24 and a 200 day moving average of $60.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $142.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.48.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.4755 dividend. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. Unilever’s payout ratio is presently 56.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UL. Fiera Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 1,866.0% during the second quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 2,135,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,451,000 after buying an additional 2,027,221 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 981.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,076,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,868,000 after acquiring an additional 1,884,216 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Unilever by 249.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,748,329 shares of the company’s stock worth $98,204,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248,136 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 598.7% in the 2nd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,301,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,555,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,992 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 7.1% in the third 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 last quarter. 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.