Unilever’s (UL) “Hold” Rating Reiterated at Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) in a research report report published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on UL. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Bank of America raised Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Performance

Unilever stock opened at $57.63 on Tuesday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $61.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.51.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a $0.4755 dividend. This is a positive change from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UL. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $231,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc lifted its position in shares of Unilever by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 6,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unilever by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,186 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. increased its position in shares of Unilever by 1.2% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 15,014 shares of the company’s stock valued at $826,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.0% in the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently 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.