Unilever (NYSE:UL) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on UL. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Unilever from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Unilever from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a buy rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever to a strong sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Unilever from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $58.33.

Unilever Stock Up 1.5 %

NYSE:UL traded up $0.91 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $62.54. 4,790,459 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,107,675. The company has a 50-day moving average of $56.68 and a 200 day moving average of $52.32. Unilever has a 1-year low of $46.16 and a 1-year high of $62.65.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be issued a $0.4773 dividend. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. 9258 Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,000. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $231,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its holdings in Unilever by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 1,586,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,259,000 after acquiring an additional 136,014 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Unilever by 2,752.1% during the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 1,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Unilever by 48.6% during the 2nd quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,956 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 3,909 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

About Unilever

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.