Unilever (NYSE:UL) Upgraded at DZ Bank

DZ Bank upgraded shares of Unilever (NYSE:UL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Unilever from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com upgraded Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Unilever in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $61.75.

Unilever Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of UL opened at $56.14 on Friday. Unilever has a 1 year low of $46.46 and a 1 year high of $65.87. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.09.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.4674 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Unilever during the 4th quarter worth about $176,806,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Unilever in the fourth quarter worth about $153,606,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 140.1% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 3,719,284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $210,883,000 after buying an additional 2,170,242 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 981.6% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,076,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,868,000 after buying an additional 1,884,216 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Unilever by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,940,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,017,253,000 after buying an additional 1,214,563 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Unilever

Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. The Beauty & Wellbeing segment engages in the sale of hair care products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling; skin care products including face, hand, and body moisturizer; and prestige beauty and health & wellbeing products consist of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements.