Unilever (NYSE:UL) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) shares gapped up before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $59.23, but opened at $60.63. Unilever shares last traded at $60.94, with a volume of 801,331 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com raised Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Stock Up 2.5 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $150.61 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.47. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $56.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.81.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 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.