Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Unilever PLC has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from eight brokerages, with six giving ratings of buy or strong buy.
• The firm's stock price target among analysts is set at an average of $72.50, indicating potential for growth.
• Unilever recently announced a quarterly dividend increase of $0.5175 per share, payable on September 12, reflecting a yield of 3.4%.

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $72.50.

UL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised Unilever from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unilever from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Unilever to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company's stock worth $599,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 359,032 shares of the company's stock worth $20,357,000 after buying an additional 12,711 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter valued at $587,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Unilever by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,830,532 shares of the company's stock worth $217,191,000 after acquiring an additional 327,329 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $218,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of UL opened at $60.16 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $61.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $147.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.38. Unilever has a 12-month low of $54.32 and a 12-month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a boost from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. Unilever's dividend payout ratio is 59.03%.

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.

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