Unilever (NYSE:UL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Argus

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Kepler Capital Markets lowered Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group restated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 price target on shares of Unilever and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Trading Down 3.3%

NYSE:UL opened at $69.10 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $68.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.31. Unilever has a 1-year low of $61.78 and a 1-year high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC purchased a new position in Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $268,704,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Unilever by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,054,973,000 after purchasing an additional 2,935,227 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Unilever during the 2nd quarter worth about $144,979,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in Unilever by 13,906.2% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,268,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,465,000 after buying an additional 2,252,105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 21,578,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,319,966,000 after buying an additional 1,989,631 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.