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

Key Points

• Unilever PLC has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from eleven brokerages, with a target price of $73.00.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5175 per share, marking a slight increase from its previous dividend, resulting in an annualized yield of 3.3%.
• Unilever's stock price has opened at $63.18, with a 52-week low of $54.32 and a high of $65.66, indicating a stable trading range over the past year.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $73.00.

UL has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Sunday, August 3rd. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Unilever from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. boosted its position in Unilever by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. now owns 104,380 shares of the company's stock worth $6,188,000 after purchasing an additional 3,554 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. boosted its position in Unilever by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 108,152 shares of the company's stock worth $6,411,000 after purchasing an additional 7,437 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth $1,176,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,401 shares of the company's stock worth $557,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 8,341 shares of the company's stock worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,261 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $63.18 on Friday. Unilever has a 52-week low of $54.32 and a 52-week high of $65.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $61.51 and a 200-day moving average of $61.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.03 billion, a PE ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is a positive change from Unilever's previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. 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.

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