Unilever (NYSE:UL) Lowered to “Neutral” Rating by BNP Paribas Exane

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by investment analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday. They currently have a $71.00 target price on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s price target suggests a potential upside of 14.78% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group restated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research cut Unilever from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. BNP Paribas set a $71.00 price objective on Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Unilever has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $67.37.

Unilever Stock Down 4.1%

Shares of UL stock opened at $61.86 on Thursday. Unilever has a 52 week low of $61.11 and a 52 week high of $73.87. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $66.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.02.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UL. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Unilever by 5.4% during the 4th 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. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 4.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 35,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,085,000 after purchasing an additional 1,587 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 1.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 63,362 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,773,000 after purchasing an additional 976 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the first quarter worth approximately $492,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 46.7% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 62,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,717,000 after buying an additional 19,883 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.