Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $61.75.

Several analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $192,000. Guardian Capital LP raised its stake in Unilever by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Guardian Capital LP now owns 151,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,568,000 after acquiring an additional 1,653 shares during the last quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its position in Unilever by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 7,664 shares of the company’s stock worth $434,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 75.3% in the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 96,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,477,000 after purchasing an additional 41,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 25,882 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,467,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Stock Down 1.9 %

UL stock opened at $54.89 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $57.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.30. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th.

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.