Erste Group Bank Reduces Earnings Estimates for Unilever

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) – Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2027 EPS estimates for Unilever in a report released on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now expects that the company will post earnings of $3.91 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $3.95. The consensus estimate for Unilever’s current full-year earnings is $3.27 per share.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Argus raised Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 target price on Unilever and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $55.73 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 52-week low of $54.95 and a 52-week high of $74.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $66.77 and its 200 day moving average is $66.73.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UL. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $268,704,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Unilever by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,054,973,000 after acquiring an additional 2,935,227 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Unilever by 13,906.2% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,268,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $134,465,000 after acquiring an additional 2,252,105 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $132,027,000. Finally, Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth about $82,461,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.5547 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%.

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.