Unilever (NYSE:UL) Upgraded at Argus

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was upgraded by investment analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. UBS Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. DZ Bank downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $69.10 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $68.46 and a 200 day moving average of $68.31. Unilever has a 52 week low of $61.78 and a 52 week high of $74.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UL. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Unilever by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,054,973,000 after acquiring an additional 2,935,227 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Unilever by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 22,537,917 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,336,048,000 after purchasing an additional 959,269 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Unilever by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,773,638 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,261,000 after purchasing an additional 91,049 shares during the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $268,704,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Unilever by 3.5% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,001,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,183,000 after purchasing an additional 133,776 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.67% of the company’s stock.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company with roots dating back to the early 20th century, formed from the merger of the British firm Lever Brothers and the Dutch company Margarine Unie. The company develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded products in personal care, home care and foods and refreshments. Unilever’s corporate structure and listings reflect its long history in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and it operates at scale across diverse consumer markets worldwide.

Unilever’s business is organized around major product categories—Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care and Foods & Refreshment—and includes numerous well-known consumer brands across those categories.