Unilever (NYSE:UL) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Unilever in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. UBS Group upgraded Unilever to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Unilever from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $47.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $65.43 on Thursday. Unilever has a twelve month low of $46.16 and a twelve month high of $65.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $62.68 and a 200-day moving average of $56.15.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UL. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,494,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,672,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114,417 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,830,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $525,051,000 after purchasing an additional 951,446 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,548,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $317,459,000 after purchasing an additional 329,705 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 26.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,384,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,145,000 after purchasing an additional 911,443 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 19.3% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 4,132,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,416,000 after purchasing an additional 668,913 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

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.