Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the ten brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $61.75.

UL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America upgraded Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. StockNews.com downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th.

Unilever Stock Performance

UL stock opened at $59.36 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $61.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $59.91. Unilever has a twelve month low of $46.46 and a twelve month high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be issued a $0.4755 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This is a boost from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.20%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 423.8% in the 2nd quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 393.5% in the 2nd quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Webster Bank N. A. increased its stake in shares of Unilever by 54.3% in the 2nd quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Unilever during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.