Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Stock Now Rated “Hold” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.55.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on UL shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, July 6th.

Unilever Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE:UL opened at $61.89 on Friday. Unilever has a twelve month low of $54.75 and a twelve month high of $74.97. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $62.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.32.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.84 by ($1.25). The firm had revenue of $14.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.80 billion. Research analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Diversified Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 410.8% during the third quarter. Diversified Management Inc. now owns 32,874 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,996,000 after purchasing an additional 26,438 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Unilever by 20.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 26,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,617,000 after buying an additional 4,548 shares during the period. Bonness Enterprises Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever during the third quarter worth $4,068,000. Gradient Investments LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 90,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,474,000 after acquiring an additional 3,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 7.9% during the 3rd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, manufactures and markets branded products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and nutrition. Its portfolio includes widely recognized brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Cif, Domestos, Knorr, Hellmann’s and Magnum, although product availability varies by market.

The company’s products are sold through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms and other retail channels in countries around the world.