Analysts Set Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) PT at $73.00

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation, three have assigned a buy recommendation and three have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $73.00.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Sunday, August 3rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, CICC Research assumed coverage on Unilever in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They set an “outperform” rating for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Unilever by 209.0% in the first quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in Unilever in the second quarter worth $39,000. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unilever Price Performance

UL stock opened at $59.26 on Wednesday. Unilever has a 1-year low of $54.32 and a 1-year high of $65.66. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $61.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $61.61. The company has a market capitalization of $145.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a PEG ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.40.

Unilever Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.5175 per share. This is an increase from Unilever’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Unilever’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.31%.

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.