Unilever PLC Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.53 (NYSE:UL)

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of 0.5305 per share on Friday, September 18th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th.

Unilever has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years. Unilever has a dividend payout ratio of 58.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Unilever to earn $3.72 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.10 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 56.5%.

Unilever Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE UL opened at $64.09 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $60.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.31. Unilever has a 52-week low of $54.75 and a 52-week high of $74.97.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UL. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Unilever from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unilever from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unilever currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.55.

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.