Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $58.33.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Unilever from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $151,263,000. Equity Investment Corp lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 107.1% in the first quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,910,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,091,000 after buying an additional 1,505,233 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,672,275,000 after acquiring an additional 1,114,417 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,843,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $525,716,000 after acquiring an additional 965,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 121.3% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,352,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,568,000 after acquiring an additional 741,363 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Trading Up 0.2 %

Unilever stock opened at $61.07 on Friday. Unilever has a 52 week low of $46.16 and a 52 week high of $61.15. The stock has a market cap of $152.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.50, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $56.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.07.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.4773 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.13%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.55%.

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.