Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.54

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.5449 per share on Friday, June 26th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th.

Unilever has increased its dividend by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years. Unilever has a payout ratio of 60.2% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Unilever to earn $3.75 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.16 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 57.6%.

Unilever Stock Performance

Shares of UL stock traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $58.04. 421,606 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,178,780. Unilever has a 1-year low of $54.95 and a 1-year high of $74.97. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $65.16.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($1.00). The business had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.39 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Unilever will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Unilever from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Argus upgraded Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Unilever from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.55.

Unilever Company Profile

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.