Unilever (NYSE:UL) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $60.10 price objective on Unilever and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Argus upgraded shares of Unilever to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Unilever in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Unilever from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $71.00 target price on shares of Unilever and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.55.

Unilever Price Performance

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $68.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.97.

Unilever (NYSE:UL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($1.00). The firm had revenue of $11.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.39 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Unilever PLC will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

Unilever Cuts Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Unilever by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,665,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,054,973,000 after buying an additional 2,935,227 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 4.4% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 22,537,917 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,336,048,000 after acquiring an additional 959,269 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Unilever by 1.6% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,773,638 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,261,000 after acquiring an additional 91,049 shares during the period. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unilever in the fourth quarter valued at about $268,704,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Unilever by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,001,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,183,000 after purchasing an additional 133,776 shares in the last quarter. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.