Unilever (NYSE:UL) Sets New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• New 52‑week low: Unilever shares fell to about $60.47 (last $60.65), marking a new 12‑month low and trading below its 50‑day ($68.37) and 200‑day ($67.64) moving averages.
• Analyst stance mixed, consensus "Hold": MarketBeat shows an average price target of $65.55 with a mix of ratings (one Strong Buy, two Buy, six Hold, two Sell) and recent downgrades from firms including Jefferies and UBS.
• Earnings miss and dividend details: The company reported a quarterly EPS of $0.75 versus $1.75 expected and revenue of $11.87B versus $31.39B expected, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5547 per share (annualized $2.22, ~3.7% yield) payable April 10.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $60.47 and last traded at $60.6460, with a volume of 3360711 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $61.07.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group restated a "sell" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $68.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.64.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock worth $599,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Unilever by 4.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 35,007 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,085,000 after purchasing an additional 1,587 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the second quarter valued at approximately $297,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Unilever by 8.0% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,621,536 shares of the company's stock worth $99,189,000 after buying an additional 120,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the second quarter worth $237,000. 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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