Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.54

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.5449 per share on Friday, June 26th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th.

Unilever has increased its dividend by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years. Unilever has a payout ratio of 60.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Unilever to earn $3.75 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.16 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 57.6%.

Unilever Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE UL traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $58.04. 421,606 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,178,780. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $60.37 and a 200-day moving average of $65.16. Unilever has a one year low of $54.95 and a one year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on UL shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. DZ Bank upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

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.