Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $66.33.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 1,022.6% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 11,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $665,000 after buying an additional 10,165 shares during the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 11,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $669,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 13,329 shares of the company’s stock worth $794,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 41.6% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 156,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,872,000 after acquiring an additional 45,941 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 143,017 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,109,000 after purchasing an additional 1,529 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $60.16 on Wednesday. Unilever has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $58.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $149.04 billion, a PE ratio of 17.24, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%. Unilever’s payout ratio is 53.01%.

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.