Unilever (NYSE:UL) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at DZ Bank

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was upgraded by stock analysts at DZ Bank from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

UL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price target on Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.55.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL stock opened at $58.40 on Wednesday. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $54.95 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $66.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.62.

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

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lane Brothers & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the fourth quarter worth $956,000. Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in Unilever during the fourth quarter valued at $437,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $414,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at $236,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.