Unilever (NYSE:UL) Raised to “Buy” at DZ Bank

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was upgraded by equities researchers at DZ Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Finviz reports.

Several other research firms also recently commented on UL. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.75.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of Unilever stock traded up $0.50 during trading on Friday, hitting $56.04. The stock had a trading volume of 1,424,145 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,686,236. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $56.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.13. Unilever has a 12 month low of $46.46 and a 12 month high of $65.87.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.