Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Unilever a consensus "Hold" rating from 11 firms — 3 sell, 4 hold, 2 buy and 2 strong buy — with an average 12‑month price target of $65.55.
• Unilever agreed to buy U.S. supplements brand Grüns (reported around $1.2B), underscoring a strategic pivot into beauty/wellbeing and higher‑quality Home & Personal Care, while management is weighing a separation of the foods business that could boost long‑term value but raises execution risk.
• Near‑term headwinds include a material quarterly EPS miss (reported $0.75 vs. $1.75 expected) and analyst cuts to earnings estimates, creating pressure on the share price.

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the eleven research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

UL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on shares of Unilever and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th.

Key Unilever News

Here are the key news stories impacting Unilever this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unilever agreed to buy U.S. supplements brand Grüns, signaling a clear push into beauty/wellbeing categories and building its nutrition/wellness footprint — a strategic fit for UL’s transition away from mainstream foods. Unilever to buy supplements brand Grüns With A $1.2 Billion Sale To Unilever
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank upgraded UL from "hold" to "strong-buy", which can support the stock by validating management’s strategy and attracting buyers. DZ Bank upgrade / TickerReport
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis arguing the market is undervaluing Unilever’s shift to a higher‑quality HPC business suggests upside if the transition executes — a bullish narrative for longer‑term holders. Unilever: Market Undervaluing Its Transition
• Neutral Sentiment: Management continues to discuss a strategic separation of the foods business as part of the pivot to HPC — a transformational move that creates clarity but also execution risk and transitional costs. Strategic separation transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitors are taking note: McCormick’s CEO framed the food deals as competitive on flavour, underscoring that UL’s food moves will invite pushback and intensified competition in certain segments. McCormick CEO on Unilever food deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyses versus peers (e.g., Henkel) are circulating, giving investors more context on valuation and margin paths but not delivering a clear consensus. Critical Analysis: Unilever versus Henkel
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group cut earnings estimates for Unilever, and broader skepticism about near‑term earnings (including the company’s recent quarterly EPS miss) is pressuring the stock — analysts trimming forecasts is a direct headwind for shares. Erste Group Lowers Earnings Estimates

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,873 shares of the company's stock worth $585,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in Unilever by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 40,080 shares of the company's stock worth $2,376,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of UL opened at $58.35 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average is $66.22 and its 200-day moving average is $66.54. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $54.95 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th.

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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