Unilever (NYSE:UL) Cut to “Underperform” at Royal Bank of Canada

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by equities researchers at Royal Bank of Canada from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $55.86 on Monday. Unilever has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $138.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.83, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.49. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $58.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.36.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 110,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,180,000 after buying an additional 15,941 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the third quarter valued at about $11,694,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 249.5% during the second 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. WCM Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 236.2% in the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 30,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,997,000 after purchasing an additional 21,441 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the third quarter worth about $1,388,000. Hedge funds and other 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.