Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives $73.00 Average PT from Analysts

Key Points

• Unilever PLC has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with a target price of $73.00.
• The company has recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.5175, resulting in a 3.3% yield for investors.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds currently own approximately 9.67% of Unilever's stock, indicating significant interest from larger investors.

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nine brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $73.00.

UL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UL. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 209.0% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE UL traded up $0.48 during trading on Friday, reaching $64.02. 1,873,148 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,505,162. The business's 50-day moving average price is $61.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.98. Unilever has a twelve month low of $54.32 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $157.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.5175 dividend. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.07 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.31%.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment engages in the sale of hair care products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling; skin care products including face, hand, and body moisturizer; and prestige beauty and health & wellbeing products consist of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements.