Unilever (NYSE:UL) Sets New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $61.65 and last traded at $61.5520, with a volume of 1777946 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $62.35.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Argus upgraded Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. 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. Finally, DZ Bank cut shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Unilever presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.55.

Unilever Trading Down 1.5%

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.60 and its 200 day moving average is $67.97.

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

Unilever Cuts Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unilever

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in Unilever by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 1,247,467 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,950,000 after acquiring an additional 37,630 shares during the last quarter. Evelyn Partners Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Unilever during the second quarter worth $5,403,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in Unilever by 66.1% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 158,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,709,000 after purchasing an additional 63,197 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in Unilever by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 257,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,724,000 after buying an additional 24,956 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unilever by 59.5% during the 2nd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,201 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,174,000 after buying an additional 7,159 shares during the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.