Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

Several research firms recently issued reports on UL. 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 cut shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Confluence Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 16,848 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,013,000 after buying an additional 1,437 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 8.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 106,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,083,000 after buying an additional 8,407 shares during the last quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 8.9% in the first quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 87,709 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,997,000 after buying an additional 7,144 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the first quarter valued at $297,000. Finally, Essential Partners LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 125.5% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

NYSE UL opened at $62.52 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $58.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.70. Unilever has a 52 week low of $54.75 and a 52 week high of $74.97.

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.