Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Unilever PLC has an average analyst rating of “Hold” from 12 research firms, with the group split between sell, hold, buy, and strong buy recommendations.
• The average 12-month price target for Unilever is $65.55, compared with the stock’s recent open at $61.97.
• Recent analyst action has been mixed, including downgrades from Jefferies, Weiss Ratings, and Zacks Research, alongside upgrades from DZ Bank and Royal Bank of Canada.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the twelve research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.55.

UL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unilever from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Unilever from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL opened at $61.97 on Tuesday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $54.75 and a 1 year high of $74.97. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $58.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.40.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Unilever by 16.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company's stock worth $379,501,000 after purchasing an additional 937,346 shares during the period. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $268,704,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Unilever by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,616,603 shares of the company's stock valued at $236,526,000 after purchasing an additional 323,393 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Unilever by 13.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company's stock valued at $193,915,000 after purchasing an additional 406,610 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Unilever by 44.3% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,067,651 shares of the company's stock worth $200,625,000 after purchasing an additional 942,286 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Company Profile

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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