Unilever (NYSE:UL) Cut to Hold at Kepler Capital Markets

Kepler Capital Markets downgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on UL. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $71.98 on Tuesday. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $61.67 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $67.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.09.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The company had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. Analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.5547 per share. This represents a $2.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UL. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unilever in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Unilever in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new stake in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.