Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Receives $65.55 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eleven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.55.

UL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. DZ Bank downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Kepler Capital Markets cut Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UL. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Unilever by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $599,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Unilever by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 35,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,085,000 after acquiring an additional 1,587 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Unilever in the 2nd quarter valued at $220,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Unilever by 85.0% in the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 7,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 3,569 shares during the period. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Unilever by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,396 shares of the company’s stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unilever Price Performance

Shares of Unilever stock opened at $61.53 on Wednesday. Unilever has a fifty-two week low of $61.25 and a fifty-two week high of $74.97. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $68.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $67.86.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its 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 analyst estimates of $31.39 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Unilever will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.5547 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%.

Key Stories Impacting Unilever

Here are the key news stories impacting Unilever this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential value unlock — a spin‑off or sale of Unilever’s foods arm would leave a more focused beauty & personal‑care Unilever and could create shareholder value if assets are re‑rated. Unilever in Talks to Separate Food Business and Combine It With McCormick
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic fit for foods — McCormick’s dealmaking track record (e.g., Frank’s, Cholula) suggests the combined foods business could be positioned for growth under a specialist owner. From Frank’s to Cholula, McCormick’s decade of deals sets stage for bold Unilever move
• Neutral Sentiment: Unilever confirms talks but stresses no agreement yet — active discussions and an inbound offer are underway, so timing and terms remain uncertain. Unilever confirms talks with McCormick over sale of foods business
• Neutral Sentiment: Process still fluid — reports say the deal could be structured as an all‑stock combination and could move quickly, but market reaction will hinge on swap terms and governance. Unilever in talks to combine food business with McCormick, WSJ reports
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and integration risks — combining sizeable food brands with a smaller acquirer raises operational, regulatory and cultural risks that could pressure the stock if uncertainties persist. Quotes: Analysts and experts react to Unilever’s potential food business sale to McCormick
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term investor concern — foods is a meaningful revenue component and earlier reporting of a possible spin‑off coincided with share weakness; recent quarterly results also showed notable EPS and revenue misses, which amplify sensitivity to strategic disruption. Explainer: How important is food to Unilever?

About Unilever

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.