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

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating on Unilever, with two sell, six hold, two buy, and two strong-buy recommendations. The average 12-month price target is $65.55 versus an opening price of $63.54.
• Unilever’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, with earnings per share of $0.59 versus the $1.84 consensus estimate and revenue of $14.62 billion versus $14.80 billion expected.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 9.67% of Unilever’s stock, with several firms increasing their positions during the second quarter.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, July 6th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th.

Unilever Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of UL opened at $63.54 on Wednesday. Unilever has a one year low of $54.75 and a one year high of $74.97. The business has a fifty day moving average of $63.05 and a 200 day moving average of $61.33.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.84 by ($1.25). The business had revenue of $14.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.80 billion. On average, research analysts predict that Unilever will post 3.53 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Unilever by 9.8% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 66,896 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,022,000 after purchasing an additional 5,984 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 37,826 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,274,000 after buying an additional 1,588 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 21.2% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 533,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,046,000 after buying an additional 93,161 shares in the last quarter. Brown Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Financial Advisors now owns 4,306 shares of the company's stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 269 shares during the period. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 842,507 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,652,000 after acquiring an additional 36,567 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company that develops, markets and sells products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and foods. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, TRESemmé, Sunsilk, Hellmann's, Knorr, Cif, Domestos and OMO or Persil, depending on the market.

The company serves consumers in markets around the world, with products distributed through retail stores, e-commerce platforms and other channels. Its offerings include skin and hair care, deodorants, oral care, household cleaning products, dressings, condiments, soups and cooking products.

Unilever was created in 1929 through the combination of Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer, and Lever Brothers, a British soap maker.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.