Unilever (NYSE:UL) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at DZ Bank

Key Points

• DZ Bank upgraded Unilever (UL) from a "hold" to a "strong-buy" in its latest research note.
• Unilever reported a significant quarterly miss, posting $0.75 EPS versus $1.75 expected and revenue of $11.87 billion versus $31.39 billion expected.
• Analyst views are mixed: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Hold" with a $65.55 target, comprised of 2 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 4 Hold and 3 Sell ratings.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at DZ Bank from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

UL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Argus raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Unilever from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

UL opened at $58.40 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 12-month low of $54.95 and a 12-month high of $74.97. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $66.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.62.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.39 billion. Equities analysts predict that Unilever will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 3.1% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 1,247,467 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,950,000 after acquiring an additional 37,630 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $5,003,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 37.3% during the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 78,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,127,000 after purchasing an additional 21,313 shares during the last quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 1,135.3% during the 4th quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 388,355 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,398,000 after purchasing an additional 356,918 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 3rd quarter worth $82,461,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company's stock.

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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