Erste Group Bank Decreases Earnings Estimates for Unilever

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate for Unilever to $3.85 from $4.00, though the revised forecast remains above the current consensus estimate of $3.54.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with Unilever carrying an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $65.55; recent ratings range from Strong Buy to Sell.
• Unilever’s shares opened at $62.91, while its latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.59 in EPS versus the $1.84 consensus and revenue of $14.62 billion versus $14.80 billion expected.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank cut their FY2027 EPS estimates for Unilever in a note issued to investors on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $3.85 for the year, down from their previous estimate of $4.00. The consensus estimate for Unilever's current full-year earnings is $3.54 per share.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on UL. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Morningstar cut Unilever to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays restated a "buy" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $62.91 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $62.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.35. Unilever has a 12-month low of $54.75 and a 12-month high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.84 by ($1.25). The business had revenue of $14.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.80 billion.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Unilever by 16.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company's stock worth $379,501,000 after purchasing an additional 937,346 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Unilever by 13.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company's stock worth $193,915,000 after buying an additional 406,610 shares during the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 11.6% during the second quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 2,722,721 shares of the company's stock valued at $163,690,000 after buying an additional 282,076 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 674.2% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,794,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,208,000 after buying an additional 2,433,625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its holdings in Unilever by 2.4% during the second quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,996,952 shares of the company's stock valued at $120,057,000 after buying an additional 46,801 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.67% of the company's stock.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, manufactures and markets branded products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and nutrition. Its portfolio includes widely recognized brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Cif, Domestos, Knorr, Hellmann's and Magnum, although product availability varies by market.

The company's products are sold through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms and other retail channels in countries around the world.

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