Unilever (NYSE:UL) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning.

UL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $59.24 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $146.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.97, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. Unilever has a 52 week low of $46.46 and a 52 week high of $65.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $56.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.81.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.4674 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 9.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.