Unilever PLC (UL) To Go Ex-Dividend on February 28th

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 13th,Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of 0.4674 per share on Friday, March 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th.

Unilever has decreased its dividend by an average of 2.8% annually over the last three years. Unilever has a payout ratio of 55.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Unilever to earn $3.27 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.90 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 58.1%.

Unilever Trading Down 1.9 %

NYSE:UL opened at $54.89 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $57.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.35. Unilever has a one year low of $46.46 and a one year high of $65.87.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on UL. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Company Profile

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.