Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Stock Has Average Price Target of $65.55 According to Brokerages

Shares of Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.55.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UL shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Unilever from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 674.2% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,794,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,208,000 after purchasing an additional 2,433,625 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Unilever in the 1st quarter worth approximately $67,107,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 16.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,501,000 after buying an additional 937,346 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Unilever by 13.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,403,807 shares of the company’s stock worth $193,915,000 after buying an additional 406,610 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich grew its position in Unilever by 26.0% during the first quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich now owns 1,554,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,561,000 after buying an additional 320,304 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:UL opened at $60.80 on Friday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $54.75 and a 1 year high of $74.97. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $62.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.32.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.84 by ($1.25). The company had revenue of $14.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.80 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

Unilever Company Profile

Unilever PLC is a global consumer goods company headquartered in London, England. It develops, manufactures and markets branded products across beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and nutrition. Its portfolio includes widely recognized brands such as Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Cif, Domestos, Knorr, Hellmann’s and Magnum, although product availability varies by market.

The company’s products are sold through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms and other retail channels in countries around the world.