Unilever (NYSE:UL) Downgraded to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Unilever (NYSE:UL) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Separately, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Unilever from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $52.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.00.

Unilever Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of UL stock traded down $0.08 on Tuesday, hitting $47.98. 2,724,426 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,820,855. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $49.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.52. Unilever has a twelve month low of $46.16 and a twelve month high of $55.99.

Institutional Trading of Unilever

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in Unilever by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 672,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,239,000 after buying an additional 227,681 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Group LLC raised its holdings in Unilever by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Group LLC now owns 3,332,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $161,582,000 after buying an additional 47,256 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 3,718.5% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 171,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,321,000 after purchasing an additional 167,146 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Unilever by 14.8% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 762,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,946,000 after purchasing an additional 98,275 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in Unilever by 3.4% during the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 47,772 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,360,000 after purchasing an additional 1,589 shares during the period. 9.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unilever Company Profile

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.