Unilever FY2026 EPS Estimate Reduced by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank slightly lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate for Unilever to $3.73 from $3.74, while also forecasting $3.97 EPS for FY2027. The new estimate is above the broader consensus FY2026 EPS view of $3.54.
• Analyst sentiment on Unilever remains mixed, with recent actions including downgrades from Weiss Ratings and Deutsche Bank, alongside upgrades from Argus and DZ Bank. Overall, MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Hold" and a target price of $65.55.
• Unilever shares opened at $58.38, near the lower end of their 52-week range of $54.95 to $74.97. The company also reported a weak prior quarter, missing EPS and revenue expectations, while maintaining a 3.7% dividend yield.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank cut their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Unilever in a report released on Tuesday, May 5th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now expects that the company will post earnings of $3.73 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $3.74. The consensus estimate for Unilever's current full-year earnings is $3.54 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Unilever's FY2027 earnings at $3.97 EPS.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on UL. Weiss Ratings downgraded Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Argus upgraded Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $58.38 on Monday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $54.95 and a 1 year high of $74.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.42.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.5449 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,036 shares of the company's stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 28,386 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,683,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 19.4% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,754 shares of the company's stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp raised its holdings in Unilever by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 40,080 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,376,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever's corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever's business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.

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