Unilever (NYSE:UL) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday morning.

UL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.33.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $63.79 on Friday. Unilever has a 1-year low of $47.55 and a 1-year high of $65.87. The company has a market capitalization of $158.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.28, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $58.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.76.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.93%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.01%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at $233,000. Clarius Group LLC lifted its stake in Unilever by 2.7% during the first quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 8,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $481,000 after buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Bell Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 7.1% in the first quarter. Bell Bank now owns 119,753 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,131,000 after buying an additional 7,937 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 0.4% in the first quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 39,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,379,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Finally, Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 2.8% in the first quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,988 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,012,000 after acquiring an additional 470 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.