StockNews.com Lowers Unilever (NYSE:UL) to Hold

StockNews.com cut shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday morning.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America upgraded Unilever from an underperform rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Unilever in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Unilever from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Unilever to a strong sell rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $65.44 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $62.83 and its 200 day moving average is $56.35. The company has a market cap of $163.81 billion, a PE ratio of 19.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.48. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $65.87.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were paid a $0.4773 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio is presently 54.81%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. lifted its position in Unilever by 423.8% during the second 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 period. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unilever by 393.5% in the second quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. 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.