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 Wednesday morning.

Separately, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Unilever from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and cut their price target for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $48.00.

Unilever Stock Performance

Unilever stock opened at $51.87 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.16 and a 1 year high of $55.77. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.64.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 7th. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th will be given a $0.4556 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.51%.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in Unilever by 51.1% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 672,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,239,000 after purchasing an additional 227,681 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $161,582,000 after purchasing an additional 47,256 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 3,718.5% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 171,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,321,000 after purchasing an additional 167,146 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,038,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 762,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,946,000 after acquiring an additional 98,275 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Company Profile

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.